Nachrichten

Jesse Marsch’s business in the summer of 2022 has been credited for Leeds United’s recent downfall, most-notably due to the exits of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

The duo were sold for a combined £100m in total to Manchester City and Barcelona. Phillips has gone from Euro 2020 finalist to struggling on loan at newly-promoted Ipswich, while Raphinha is on fire.

The Brazil star is even captaining Barcelona in the absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Leeds spent that £100m on players like Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca and other Leeds flops.

Relegation followed with the re-assembled squad built by Marsch unable to provide the necessary quality to keep Leeds in the Premier League. Since then, Leeds have been hamstrung by those transfer dealings.

Eight were allowed to go on loan using Orta’s relegation clause and the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Max Wober, Kristensen and others remain on the books at Elland Road. But one player old in 2022 is shining.

Elia Caprile is starring in goal for Napoli at top of Serie A

Caprile joined Leeds in January 2020 from Chievo and while he was on the bench a few times under then-Leeds boss Marsch and even beforehand with Marcelo Bielsa, he never actually made a first-team debut.

He was loaned to Pro Patria, and then sold to Bari in the summer of 2022. Impressing for Bari, Caprile went to Napoli for £6m in 2023 and immediately went on loan to Empoli, starring last season in Serie A.

This term, Caprile has replaced Alex Meret in Antonio Conte’s Napoli side. Meret was injured against Juventus and Caprile came on to keep a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw, the first of his four outings this term.

With Meret still sidelined, Caprile has since helped Napoli secure three wins in a row. Clean sheets in wins over Palermo (5-0) and Monza (2-0) was followed by a 3-1 win last time out against Cesc Fabregas’ Como.

Napoli’s Elia Caprile starring as Illan Meslier makes Leeds blunder

Caprile’s latest outing for Napoli which helped Conte’s men go top of Serie A, came in the same weekend that Illan Meslier made a horrific blunder that saw Leeds surrender a 2-1 win to draw at Sunderland.

Meslier’s criticism has been aplenty, with Jon Newsome even slamming Meslier for “joking and laughing” after his mistake. While Caprile needed to leave Leeds to realise his potential, it was a mistake to sell him.

Surely, just allowing Caprile to go on loan and then return to Leeds to rival Meslier would have made much more sense. But, instead, Marsch and Leeds sold him in 2022 and will now be forced to watch on.

Capile could retain his place between the sticks and help Napoli go and win Serie A this season, while Leeds are left to fight it out in the Championship in order to go and win promotion back to the top.

Related Topics