In a recent interview with Football Insider, Noel Whelan has urged Leeds United to tie down Oliver Casey to a new contract. The young defender’s current deal at the club expires at the end of the season.
“He’s a young player with a lot of potential, and when you have that at a football club it’s important because it’s an investment for the future”, Whelan told Football Insider.
“Right now, if they really want him, they’ve got to tie him down. There’s not long to go”, – he added.
Oliver Casey’s situation at Leeds
Casey is regarded as one of the rising stars in the Leeds United side. He made his first-team debut in December of last year, featuring as a sub against Huddersfield Town. However, he has since failed to make the squad and quite surprisingly so, given Leeds United’s lack of depth in the defensive unit.
As a matter of fact, Casey is yet to be officially promoted to the first-team of Leeds United. He still plays for the reserve U-23 side, which pretty much explains why he is yet to make a breakthrough in professional football.
Will Casey be useful for Leeds next season?
Should Leeds United choose to extend the contract of Casey this season, the young defender could get a promotion to the first-team before anything else. Indeed, Leeds are already expected to lose Ben White, who is due to return to Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the campaign while Gaetano Berardi’s contract is also running out.
That means there will be a shortage of defensive options for Marcelo Bielsa, forcing him to provide Casey with a more prominent role in the senior side. Although he is unlikely to become a regular member of the first-team, his absence in the squad could be critical in the event of an injury crisis.
Is Noel Whelan talking sense?
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Leeds United could really find it difficult to find quality defensive options to replace White this summer. That means Bielsa should take a more prudent approach and keep hold of Casey for now by extending his contract.
The 19-year-old is a tall, promising centre-back, whose discipline and enthusiasm could make him a decent backup option for the Argentine mastermind. Therefore, Whelan is absolutely right in suggesting the Whites make a move on Casey’s future within the coming weeks.
