Leeds United's relegation is set to have catastrophic effects on the club should they fail to bounce back with some haste. Given how they reacted to their 2004 demotion, fans have every right to be worried.
Fortunately, they boast one key difference from the drop that left them absent from the Premier League for 16 years – as they retain the bulk of the finances of a top-flight club.
That fateful relegation nearly two decades ago was borne of years of fiscal mismanagement, culminating in a brief stint in League One, too. This time, their stature and ability to lure players with hefty monetary incentives could help them bankroll the second tier and swan back to the big time.
They will also have to balance any new additions with the likely departures, as large swathes of their squad are expected to seek an exit. Rodrigo is one such name, which will leave the Whites without their most reliable source of goals from last term.
Therefore, they must surely invest heavily in what is arguably the most important area of the field by stumping up the demanded €20m (£17m) fee and making their interest in Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres more tangible.
Is Viktor Gyokeres similar to Erling Haaland?
Replacing the 13 Premier League strikes of their Spanish star will be no easy feat, but the Sweden international has all the qualities to continue his blistering Championship form in the white shirt of Leeds.
Last term for the Sky Blues, the 25-year-old posted 21 goals and a further ten assists in the league, blowing his 17-goal tally from the year prior out of the water.
It is this exceptional form in front of goal and his blistering speed, hulking frame, striking blond hair and Scandinavian heritage that all culminate to draw comparisons with Erling Haaland.
Manchester City's record-breaking frontman has taken English football by storm, breaking the Premier League scoring record in his debut year and notching 52 goals in all competitions.
In fact, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray even sought to make these similarities known, noting in February: "He looks a yard more powerful and a yard quicker than everyone else, he’s a really confident boy.
"I don’t want to say he should test himself in the Premier League, but who is like him in the Premier League at the moment? Who is too fast, too strong and too big, you would suggest Haaland is like that, and Gyokeres in this league looks a yard faster and stronger than the players he plays against in the Championship."
The comparisons continue when viewing their play style, too, as the Norway international would average just 23.7 touches per game in the league – lower than the 45 touches per game of Gyokeres in the Championship.
It only takes minimal impact throughout the game to have the biggest effect on the full-time result for these lethal forwards, with the latter's teammate Maxime Biamou branding him "unplayable".
As the 49ers continue their search for a manager, it seems that this move could be their first true statement of intent, showing the rest of the country that the famous Yorkshire outfit will not be spending too much time at this level.
