According to the latest reports from the Mirror, Leeds United have opened contract talks with their last season’s top scorer Kemar Roofe. The 26-year-old striker is set to enter in the final year of his contract at the club, and it is imperative for them to keep the Englishman at Elland Road after his impressive campaign under Bielsa.
Roofe has been linked with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Southampton in the past few months, so the striker has definitely caught the eyeballs of quite a few clubs. It is being said that Roofe and his team had approached the Whites for a new contract last summer, but the club didn’t want to negotiate any terms then.
However, now with Roofe close to entering the final year of his contract and with other clubs interested, the striker is in a strong position to negotiate. It is being said that Roofe and his team are likely to take their time and are in no hurry to commit to a new deal. Nevertheless, Leeds United still believe that they can make him an attractive offer to keep him at Elland Road.
Reports mention that last summer’s signing Patrick Bamford earns almost three times more than Roofe and the striker is expected to get a substantial pay rise from the Whites.
Why is Roofe important for Bielsa?
Biela often wants his strikers to press from the top, and his attackers act as the first line of defence. Roofe is known for his impressive work rate, and even when he didn’t manage to make an impact with goals, he used to work his socks off to pressurise the opposition defenders.
His fluid movement in the attacking third was one of the primary reasons why he kept on getting into good scoring positions, and the Englishman was a vital cog for the Whites in their failed but impressive promotion run. The striker missed some games in the second half of the season, and that is when the Whites started to struggle as Bamford was below par in his performances.
Can the Whites keep him?
As we have mentioned, the ball is currently in Roofe’s court right now, and Leeds United might have made a mistake by not tying him to a new deal last summer. The lure of moving to a Premier League club cannot be ignored. However, Leeds United should be one of the favourites to move up for the next season and the fact that Bielsa has stayed at Elland Road might tilt the balance in United’s favour in terms of getting Roofe to sign a new contract.
