Leeds United were dumped out of the Championship playoffs under dramatic circumstances and all their season’s hard work came down to nothing. Now they must reset themselves and prepare for another season in the English second tier, but it is easier said than done.
Issues which Leeds United are set to face
The club will have a lot of dilemmas in the upcoming transfer window. As soon as Derby County got the better of Leeds United, the first thing which must have come to every Leeds United faithful’s mind was the fate of Marcelo Bielsa. Given the work he has done, he can easily get a chance to manage a top flight club. Another issue they will face is keeping hold of their star players like Kemar Roofe, Kalvin Phillips and Jack Clarke as the three have been linked with Premier League moves before.
To add more problems, they will most likely now lose out on Daniel James of Swansea City. The Whites were a whisker away from signing him in January for £10m. Since then, the Wales international has gone from strength to strength and the winger has been linked with some Premier League heavyweights.
Why their pursuit of Daniel James is as good as over?
Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester City and most recently Manchester United‘s name did the rounds, and we don’t expect Swansea to keep hold of him this summer. The player will enter into the final year of his contract soon, and the Swans might have to sell him. Graham Potter had earlier indicated that they are in negotiations with James to get him to sign a new contract, but that seems to have taken a backseat at the moment.
Amidst all this, Leeds United doesn’t seem to be in the chase anymore now that the dust has settled on which division they will play in the next season. Angus Kinnear, United’s director, had indicated earlier that they would continue to have an interest in the 21-year-old, but we feel that with United’s loss to Derby County, they will also lose out on James.
Credit must be given to the player as he didn’t let the January transfer saga affect him. The winger kept his head down and continued to give everything for Swansea even though they pulled the plug on his move at the last moment. His performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup showcased that he can also trouble the best of the Premier League defenders as well and it is no surprise that top clubs are looking to sign this talented Welshman.
