Jesse Marsch struggled at Leeds United, and there were a plethora of reasons for this, whether the shoes were too big to fill, he was tactically inept, or he failed in the transfer market.
It is hard to think of a signing during Marsch’s tenure that worked. Tyler Adams was aggressive, Max Wober and Brenden Aaronson remain on the books but if Leeds could sell them, they probably would.
Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Luis Sinisterra, Georginio Rutter and Adams have left permanently. It is a clear sign that the players Marsch signed simply were not good enough, or loyal enough, for Leeds.
Marsch got it wrong in the transfer market and ultimately, it played a big role in Leeds being relegated. A price Leeds are paying for, even until this day. It was not just the incoming signings he made, either.
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty ImagesPlayer sold by Jesse Marsch for a tiny fee could join AC Milan
Back in the summer of 2022, Leeds sold Elia Caprile to Italian side Bari for a small fee. According to TransferMarkt, Caprile went for a fee believed to be in the region of £1.5m after failing to play once.
Since then, Caprile has starred in Italian football. He earned a move to Napoli, played under Antonio Conte, went on loan to Empoli and Cagliari and has since joined the latter permanently for a £7m fee.
The upward curve in his trajectory has not stopped while with Cagliari. So much so that Italian outlet CalcioMercato now say that AC Milan are considering a move to sign Caprile to replace Mike Maignan.
Photo by Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty ImagesElia Caprile’s stats in numbers including Leeds United stint
Caprile never made a senior debut for Leeds but he did make the first-team bench a few times under Marcelo Bielsa, including the FA Cup defeat to West Ham in 2022. He was a regular in the U21 side.
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It is hard to say that had Leeds kept Caprile, he would go on to become Milan’s next no.1 goalkeeper. Had he remained on the books at Leeds and just gone on loan, building his experience, then perhaps.
As Caprile’s success grows, the decision to sell the Italian on Marsch’s watch becomes more and more of a damning indictment on the transfer policy at the time. Leeds let a good one slip through their fingers.