Leeds United possess a 50% sell-on clause for goalkeeper Elia Caprile.

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That's according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite Bari signing the 21-year-old for a "laughable" fee of under €150k (£132k) in the summer transfer window, Victor Orta did manage to negotiate a 50% sell-on clause in the shot-stopper's switch to the Serie B side.

The report goes on to state that, should the Italy U21 international continue his extremely impressive early-season form over the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign, Bari would expect to achieve a figure of more than €6m (£5.3m) from the sale of the goalkeeper - something that would see the Whites pocket around £2.65m.

Orta masterclass

While the sale of a promising up-and-coming young player for a nominal fee would not typically be considered a masterclass by a director of football, Orta's instance of including a 50% sell-on clause in Caprile's move to Bari is very much so.

Indeed, with the 21-year-old behind both Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson in the Whites' goalkeeper pecking order last season, in addition to Leeds bringing the experienced Joel Robles to Elland Road this summer, Caprile's pathway to first-team football was very much blocked heading into the 2022/23 campaign.

And, while it is true that Orta could have sent the Italian on another season-long loan this season, with the shot-stopper's three-year deal in LS11 coming to an end next summer, the Whites would more than likely have lost the 'keeper on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.

As such, by sanctioning the sale of Caprile with a 50% sell-on clause included in the deal, not only could the Whites potentially benefit financially from the sale of the £450k-rated talent further down the line, but, should the goalkeeper impress at Bari, the Premier League side would have opportunity to sign Caprile back in what would essentially be a half-price deal.

And, considering just how eye-catching the shot-stopper has been in southern Italy so far this season, either option would not appear to be unlikely next summer.

Indeed, over his eight Serie B appearances in 2022/23, Caprile has been in fantastic form, keeping two clean sheets and saving one penalty, as well as making an average of 2.8 saves - at a success rate of 71% - per game, with these returns seeing the player who Jacek Kulig dubbed both an "absolute star" and one of Italy's "biggest revelations" average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03.

As such, should the £1.3k-per-week starlet continue this fine form, Graziano Battistini's - the goalkeeper's agent - claim that Caprile is already attracting interest ahead of next summer may not prove wide of the mark, with Leeds looking likely to be set for a significant payday for a player who otherwise would have left LS11 on a free - meaning it could well be Orta who is the one left "laughing" at the end of the season.