Leeds United have a bit of squad rebuilding to do as they recently lost Pontus Jansson to Brentford. The defender was a crucial player for the club last season, but the defender had a row with the manager which resulted in the Swedish defender heading away from the Yorkshire club. The Whites are also fighting hard to keep hold of Kalvin Phillips who is attracting plenty of interest from Aston Villa.
Former Leeds United striker and BBC commentator Noel Whelan recently tweeted he would love to see Leeds United sign Gary Cahill this summer. The English defender is available on a free transfer and is currently heavily linked (The Telegraph) with a move to Aston Villa.
With John Terry as a coach at Villa Park, one might think that the Birmingham based side are likely to get the 33-year-old defender. However, the Whites should definitely consider joining the race for the centre back who can still be a capable player at the back.
How can Cahill make an impact?
Apart from his defensive attributes, Cahill will bring the much-needed experience to the Leeds lineup. The former England international is known as a committed defender, and he will help keep the back line organised. Moreover, he would be a good influence on young defenders at the club, and they could end up learning a lot from him.
Leeds United missed an opportunity to make good money on Jansson as it seemed like they wanted to push him away from the first team sooner rather than later. Given today’s market and the fact that the Swede was still on a long term contract at the club, the Whites could have made a decent amount of money by selling him.
Cahill is one of the best defenders around at the moment on a free transfer as his robustness and reading of the game is often immaculate. However, Aston Villa has Premier League football to offer which would be a big plus for them in terms of luring the defender.
Where might the Whites have an advantage?
It remains to be seen whether Dean Smith will see him as a first-team option or just as a backup. The 33-year-old defender had to play as a second fiddle in the past few years at Chelsea, and we think that game time is going to be important for Cahill when it comes to choosing his next destination. That is somewhere Leeds United might have an advantage as they are more likely to make the Englishman a first-team option. It might be a long shot at the moment, but the Yorkshire outfit should try their luck.
