Leeds United may have just been handed a major boost on the personnel front with one man ready to commit his future to Elland Road, as per the latest reports, and lilywhites boss Daniel Farke has to take plenty of the credit.
Leeds keep up winning ways
Another Championship win on Friday night, this time a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, kept Leeds in the hunt for automatic promotion in their first season out of the Premier League.
Goals from Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto ensured that Leeds leapfrogged Ipswich Town into second place, with the Tractor Boys then falling to a dramatic 2-1 deafeat at Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon.
Leeds United top goalscorers 23/24
Crysencio Summerville
16
Dan James
11
Joel Piroe
11
Patrick Bamford
8
Georginio Rutter
7
Wilfried Gnonto
7
Sat on 79 points with nine games still to play, it is looking likely that a record points tally will be required to ensure automatic promotion from the English second tier this season, with 93 points the previous record to make it into the Premier League in second place.
Leeds' fortunes in the coming months will have a major effect on their transfer business, but there is one man that they may well be picking up regardless of which division they begin 2024/25 in.
Rodon makes decision on Leeds future
TeamTalk report that Joe Rodon has been 'advised' by Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou that he has no future in north London. Valued by the Lilywhites at around £15m, they add that Leeds are seemingly ready to make a move for the Welshman irrespective of whether or not they manage to secure a return to the English top flight come the end of the campaign.
Rodon is out of contract in 2025, which will only further Leeds' hopes of landing their star defender on a permanent basis at a cut-price fee. Most importantly, the player himself is said to be very happy in Yorkshire and keen to sign a long-term deal, regardless of what division they are in, due largely to how much he is loving life under Farke.
Arriving at Elland Road for the 2023/24 campaign, Rodon has been a star for Leeds United. Appearing 34 times already this season, he has been a major part of a Leeds side that boasts the meanest defence in the division, conceding just 28 goals all season. He played another 90 minutes in their impressive 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night and is a firm favourite in west Yorkshire.
Earlier in the campaign, ex-Leeds man Jon Newsome hailed Rodon as 'outstanding' following a 3-0 win over Millwall.
"Outstanding. Absolutely outstanding. Joe Rodon was man of the match for me. He got his head on everything. He was a different class, he really, really was", he eulogised of the Welshman.
Leeds chasing last-gasp move to sign Joe Rodon 2.0
The Whites are reportedly battling it out to sign the Premier League defender.
ByDan EmeryJan 31, 2024
Despite his impressive campaign, however, Rodon's future appears to lie away from parent club Tottenham. In the months since Postecoglou has arrived at the club, he has already signed two new central defenders (Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin) and Rodon is now further down the pecking order than ever in north London, opening the door for a long-term switch to Leeds.