LATEST - Leeds United: Silvestri leaves Whites training camp to tie up Verona move
Phil Hay
Published: 15:39 Wednesday 19 July 2017
Marco Silvestri (right) at Leeds United's training base in Austria on Tuesday.
Marco Silvestri (right) at Leeds United's training base in Austria on Tuesday.
Marco Silvestri is on the verge of a departure from Leeds United after leaving the club’s Austrian training camp to discuss a move to Hellas Verona.
Silvestri is understood to have travelled to Italy this afternoon following talks between Leeds and Verona over a potential return to Serie A.
Marco Silvestri in Austria.
Marco Silvestri in Austria.
The goalkeeper is third in the selection order under Thomas Christiansen and saw his prospects of playing next season diminish further with the arrival of Felix Wiedwald from Werder Bremen.
Christiansen took Silvestri to Austria along with Wiedwald and Rob Green and used the Italian in Monday’s 3-0 friendly defeat to Bursaspor but Leeds are working to finalise a deal with Verona in the next 24 hours.
Silvestri - signed from Chievo on a four-year deal in 2014 - was first-choice in his first two seasons at United but lost his place to Rob Green last term, playing six times in the League Cup and FA Cup and failing to make a single league appearance.
Wiedwald’s arrival for a fee of £500,000 last month also threatened Green’s involvement, leading to speculation that the former England international might also quit Elland Road before the end of the transfer window, and the exit of Silvestri would put the pair in a direct battle for a shirt.
Green, now 37, is likely to look for a transfer away from Elland Road if Wiedwald relegates him to the bench and while Leeds are not actively looking to move him on, they would be open to offers if Green asked to avoid spending next season as a substitute.
Silvestri, meanwhile, has played 98 times during a spell at Leeds which was touched by controversy in 2015 when he and five other players withdrew injured at late notice before a 2-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic. The 26-year-old subsequently denied feigning injury or attempting to undermine then head coach Neil Redfearn.
Leeds have already cut another of Cellino’s signings from their squad this week by agreeing to terminate the final 12 months of Giuseppe Bellusci’s contract by mutual consent.
The centre-back is likely to sign for PAOK in Greece as a free agent having called time on a trouble period at Elland Road.