Leeds United brought in players on loan in the summer to bolster their squad. One of them is Helder Costa who will be signed permanently for £15m next summer. However, the likes of Ben White and Eddie Nketiah have an option to be recalled by their parent club.
Whelan on Leeds United’s loan players returning back
Former Leeds United striker and BBC commentator Noel Whelan fears that Leeds United run the risk of losing their loan players once the January transfer window reopens. Speaking to Football Insider, he said, ”Losing the loan players in January is a big fear for Leeds. The parent clubs have all the power. Obviously, the Nketiah one has been talked about a lot as he’s made a big impact but is still waiting for his first Championship start.”
“Ben White is different as he’s played every game. The worry is not so much that Brighton will want him back, but that big Premier League clubs will make them an offer they can’t refuse.”
Whelan also talked about Jack Clarke, and he believes that he is likely to be called back by Tottenham. The winger has only made appearances in the Carabao Cup this season, and he has even failed to make an appearance of the bench in the Championship.
Why is Whelan right in his assessment?
As for Nketiah, David Ornstein of the Athletic reported a while back that Arsenal are unlikely to call him back. However, Bielsa recently went on to reveal that it could depend on the player himself. It’s tough to gauge what the young striker thinks right not about his situation, but he showed some of his frustration in an interview where he said that he was disappointed not to start regularly. The English forward is still awaiting his first start in the Championship as he continues to recover from an injury.
As for White, the Brighton defender has been the signing of the season so far for the Yorkshire outfit. However, heavyweight clubs like Liverpool have been linked with him, and it is understandable why some Premier League clubs would want him given his performances so far at Elland Road. If a sizeable offer comes in Brighton’s way, then they might be tempted to recall and sell the defender in January.
However, he is playing regularly at the moment and sending him away to another club can hamper with his development. So we feel that Brighton might want to keep him at Elland Road for now. But it cannot be ignored that most Premier League clubs have the financial muscle to sign a player of White’s calibre.
This is undoubtedly a risk which one runs while signing on loan players as parent clubs usually have all the power. Hopefully, from United’s point of view, both Nketiah and White would stick with the club until the end of the season.
