Cody Drameh’s move to Cardiff City during the January transfer market was only the second time in Leeds United’s history under Marcelo Bielsa that a player had asked to leave Elland Road. The first was Samuel Saiz who, during the Argentine’s debut season with Leeds in the Championship, asked Bielsa to let him return to Spain owing to crippling homesickness. The 66-year-old immediately granted Saiz his wish and the Spaniard signed for Getafe. In Drameh’s case, Bielsa once again didn’t delay in giving the player what he wanted which wasn’t a surprise as the master tactician has always said that he will never keep a player at a club against his will.Â

Only, Drameh’s move is a curious one as he left first-team football at Leeds to take up a relegation battle in the second tier. Of course, if one were to look at the most recent Championship football betting markets they would see that the Blue Birds aren’t fancied to go down to League One at odds of 6/1 but they won’t finish in mid-table either. Indeed, in all likelihood, the season will peter out for Steve Morrison’s men in an underwhelming fashion.Â

Strangely, this is a situation that Drameh has opted for instead of helping Leeds stay up in the Premier League during the second half of the season which is predicted to be a pulsating affair as the Whites go toe to toe with the world’s best domestic clubs. Indeed, Drameh has swapped a playing pitch with Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, and Rodrigo for one that instead has Kieffer Moore, Jordan Hugill, and Sean Morrison on. Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of it all though is that Drameh sees himself gaining more in terms of development under Steve Morrison than he does under Marcelo Bielsa. There is, of course, a chance that Morrison goes on to enjoy a successful career in the game as a manager but right now, there can be little doubt about which man possesses more tactical acumen when it comes to winning football matches.

All things considered, Drameh probably even knows as much given how articulate and mature he comes across during any interviews he takes part in.

With this being the case, one can only infer that Drameh decided to leave West Yorkshire in order to enjoy more standing in the Welsh capital. Indeed, it was a conscious decision taken that was based on trading off a better footballing education under Bielsa in order to be a bigger fish in a small pond at relegation-threatened Cardiff.Â

Now, far be it from anyone to try and read a footballer’s mind but the fact of the matter is that Drameh was the Leeds United right-back heir apparent and merely serving an apprenticeship before Luke Ayling and the Whites part company. One just questions the wisdom involved in deciding to give that up when Leeds have stated that their ambition is to qualify for Europe over the next few years.

For Cody Drameh, the lure of speeding up his development and enjoying a short-term rise in stature has come with passing up this particular opportunity to enjoy a long career in the best league in the world.

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