Former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino endured a turbulent time during his little over three years at the club and his work in the transfer market could be questioned.
One sale, in particular, that supporters could question the Italian over was Scottish forward Ross McCormack, who left to join Fulham in 2014 and saw his market value soar over his spell in London.
How much did Leeds sign Ross McCormack for?
The Whites reportedly paid a modest fee of £350k to sign the exciting attacker from Cardiff City to bolster their squad in the summer of 2010.
He had produced 30 goals and five assists in 88 competitive matches for the Welsh side and that prompted Leeds to swoop for his services.
How many goals did McCormack score for Leeds?
The former Bluebirds star went on to plunder 58 goals in 157 games for the Yorkshire-based outfit over the course of four years at Elland Road.
McCormack struggled at the top end of the pitch in his first season at the club as he finished the 2010/11 campaign with two goals and one assist in 20 Championship appearances.
However, the Scotland international found the back of the net a whopping 51 times over the next three league seasons combined, along with 29 assists, for the Whites.
His best year in a Leeds shirt, arguably, came during the 2013/14 term as the former Cardiff ace enjoyed a phenomenal year in front of goal for the club.
McCormack was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for his outstanding performances as he produced a stunning 28 goals and ten assists in 46 league outings. He was directly involved in a goal every 1.21 matches on average, which shows that the talented gem was a constant threat in the final third.
How much was McCormack worth at Leeds?
The prolific forward was valued at €2.6m (£2.2m) by Transfermarkt at the end of that season and Cellino opted to cash in on the attacker as the Italian sold him to Championship rivals Fulham.
Shortly before the deal to sell him to the Cottagers, the ex-Leeds owner put out a club statement that confirmed that he wanted to keep hold of McCormack and that the Whites did not have to accept any offers for his services.
Despite that, the Scottish whiz ended up signing for the London-based outfit for a reported fee within the region of £9m later that summer.
How much was McCormack worth at Fulham?
The “lethal” – as he was dubbed by reporter Andrew Slaven – magician saw his value soar to €8m (£6.9m) via Transfermarkt by the end of his two-year spell with Fulham.
This means that his market value rocketed up by 208% within the space of two years after leaving Elland Road, which also resulted in a staggering £14m transfer to Aston Villa from Craven Cottage in the summer of 2016.
McCormack was a consistent performer for the Cottagers in London as he racked up 42 goals and 22 assists in 100 appearances in all competitions.
The now-37-year-old scored 21 goals and assisted ten in 45 Championship games during his final campaign with the club in the 2015/16 season as he continued to prove himself to be an outstanding forward at that level after his time with Leeds.
Therefore, Cellino and Leeds had a mare with the sale of McCormack in 2014 as they could have cashed in for more money if they stuck to their statement and resisted the temptation to sell him that year.
They could have received a higher fee as his market value continued to soar through his excellent performances on the pitch, which is why the club may look back on this deal with regret.
