Leeds United faced the unenviable task of turning the ship around to gain positive momentum after they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Whites kicked off their summer with the appointment of Daniel Farke as the club’s new head coach and then overhauled the squad with a host of incomings and outgoings.
Rodrigo, Jack Harrison, Max Wober, Robin Koch, and Luis Sinisterra were among those to depart, either permanently or on loan, and that opened the door for new arrivals to come in.
Jaidon Anthony, Ilia Gruev, Djed Spence, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Glen Kamara, Sam Byram, Karl Darlow, and Ethan Ampadu were all snapped up to bolster their Championship promotion hopes.
The Yorkshire-based outfit are currently third in the table after 16 games and are eight points off the top of the table, which suggests that the club’s summer business has had a positive impact.
Rodon, in particular, has been an impressive addition to the group and there is now some speculation over whether or not he could have a future at Elland Road beyond his current loan.
Leeds United transfer news – Joe Rodon
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Leeds may have the opportunity to sign the central defender on a permanent basis if they are promoted to the Premier League this season.
The outlet has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are ‘open’ to the possibility of cashing in on the Wales international next summer, which suggests that he is not a part of Ange Postecoglou’s long-term plans in London.
It is stated that Spurs could hold out for a fee within the region of £20m for the ex-Swansea City star, having paid an initial fee of £11m to sign him back in 2020.
He is currently on a season-long loan from the top-flight side and Farke recently confirmed that the towering enforcer will remain at Elland Road until the conclusion of the campaign, at least.
When asked about the possibility of a recall during the January transfer window, the Whites boss stated that the defender will stay with the club and hailed his performances to that point as “brilliant”.
Whilst there is a long way to go in the season, there is now the potential for Leeds to repeat the masterclass they played with Pontus Jansson by securing a permanent deal for Rodon.
The Sweden international initially signed for the club on loan from Serie A side Torino ahead of the 2016/17 Championship campaign before being snapped up permanently for a reported fee of £3.5m the following year.
Jansson’s Leeds career in numbers
He hit the ground running in England with a sublime debut season in the second tier as the impressive defender displayed his fantastic defensive qualities.
The Torino loanee played 34 Championship matches throughout the year and ended the term with a staggering 10.4 clearances per game for the team, which was at least 2.5 more per outing than any of his teammates managed.
This showed that his positioning and reading of the game was a level above the other defenders at the club as he was in the right place at the right time to clear the danger more often than anyone else.
Jansson also made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per clash as the fantastic battler showcased his ability to win possession back on a consistent basis.
His dominance at the back was also on full display as the Swedish titan won 67% of his duels, and 73% of his battles on the ground, throughout the season.
These performances convinced Leeds to pay £3.5m to sign him in 2017 and the central defender went on to play another 81 Championship games across the subsequent two seasons.
His form for Marcelo Bielsa in his final campaign for the Whites between 2018 and 2019 was particularly eye-catching. He ranked second within the squad for both tackles (2.4) and interceptions (2.3) per match, whilst also leading the way with his 4.2 clearances per outing.
Eventually, Leeds opted to cash in and make a profit on Jansson as Brentford swooped to seal his signature for a reported fee of £5.5m in 2019, which represented a £2m profit after just two years of being in Yorkshire on a permanent deal.
Rodon could now follow in his footsteps by signing permanently after an impressive year on loan, as the Welsh gem has been in superb form so far this season.
Rodon’s season in numbers
The 26-year-old colossus, who was recently lauded as “terrific” by international and former Spurs teammate Ben Davies, has hit the ground running for Farke this term.
A red card for two bookable offences against Hull in September was a rare moment of vulnerability from the fantastic ace, who has contributed to the club’s excellent defensive record.
Only Leicester (ten) have conceded fewer goals than Leeds (16) after 16 matches and this illustrates how impressive the defence, and the structure around it, has been, with Rodon at the heart of the backline.
The Welsh ace has featured in 13 of the club’s Championship games and contributed with two tackles and interceptions combined per match, whilst also being within the top 31% of players in his position at that level for clearances (4.59) and blocks (1.5) per 90.
Statistic | Rodon in 23/24 Championship (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
Appearances | 13 |
Sofascore rating | 7.09 |
Ball recoveries | 52 |
Clearances | 52 |
Clean sheets | Four |
He has displayed his dominance with a duel success rate of 61%, which shows that opposition forwards have rarely been able to get the better of him in physical contests.
Rodon has also been an important part of Leeds’ control in possession as the central defender is a reliable passer. In fact, he currently ranks within the top 13% of his positional Championship peers with a pass accuracy of 89.7% this season.
The Wales international also played 15 Premier League games for Tottenham earlier in his career and has, therefore, already had a taste of top-flight football in this country, which could be useful experience to have if the Whites win promotion this term.
Therefore, Leeds could secure an excellent deal and repeat their Jansson masterclass by signing an impressive central defender on a permanent deal after a fantastic loan spell at Elland Road, if Rodon carries his form on throughout the rest of the campaign and helps the side to return to the top table.
