David Prutton believes that salaries in the Championship are only going to head upwards, but has backed Leeds United's decision not to overpay to bring Matej Vydra to Elland Road.
Derby County are ready to sell Vydra for between £11m and £12m this summer as they look to balance the books after missing out on promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds have been in the thick of the race and were willing to match Vydra's wages at Pride Park, claimed to be around the £30,000 per week mark.
But the Czech attacker wants more and at present has priced himself out of a move to Leeds.
Prutton admits that £30,000 a week is a very good Championship pay-packet, but warned that salaries are only going to head upwards as clubs scramble to reach the riches of the Premier League.
He has though backed the Whites for drawing a line in the sand.
"From what I’ve read, Leeds were ready to pay somewhere between £30,000 and £40,000 a week to bring him to Elland Road", Prutton wrote in his Yorkshire Evening Post column.
"That by anyone’s standards is an exceptionally good Championship wage but finances are going haywire in English football and, as clubs drop down with increasing parachute payments, I can only see top whack in this division getting higher and higher again.
"In terms of a wage limit, Leeds have to draw the line somewhere and they can’t simply pay whatever Vydra asks for.
"It sounds like his demands have increased during negotiations and no matter his record or what he might bring, sometimes you have to walk away.
"Excessive salaries are what tend to drag clubs down and, if Leeds go over the top with Vydra, it’s a signing they could come to regret if it doesn’t work out", he added.
Vydra finished as the top goalscorer in the Championship for Derby last season and the Rams have been hoping for a transfer auction to spark into life as they look for the best deal.
The pressure is on Leeds to land a striker, with the Whites set to play their first pre-season game next week, against Forest Green Rovers.
