Leeds United have been told they could sign a Liverpool player for a whole lot cheaper than the fee it would require to bring in Joe Rodon permanently from Tottenham.
Rodon has been a revelation for Leeds since joining the club on a dry loan from Tottenham last summer. The 45-time Wales star has clocked up 46 games for The Whites, helping Leeds keep 19 clean sheets.
David Prutton recently said that Rodon has fixed the defensive issues Leeds had in the Premier League. But Leeds do not have a permanent option to sign Rodon and will have to meet with Spurs to agree a fee.
Graeme Bailey told LeedsUnited.News that Rodon is set to remain at Leeds permanently even if the club do not get promoted to the Premier League, with The Whites looking likely to stay in the Championship.
Earlier this season, reports suggested that Tottenham want £20m for Rodon. But this summer, the Wales man’s contract at Tottenham will have just 12 months remaining on his contract at the North London side.
Without promotion, which is in jeopardy after a 4-0 loss to QPR, Leeds may struggle to afford Rodon if they stay in the Championship. Leeds have also been linked with a move for Liverpool’s Nat Phillips.
Former Leeds midfielder Carlton Palmer thinks Phillips would be a whole lot cheaper than Rodon:
Carlton Palmer says Nat Phillips would be cheaper than Rodon
Phillips has looked to put himself in the shop window in the last year by going on loan to Celtic during the first half of the season and then swapping Scotland for Wales, joining Cardiff until the summer.
His future at Liverpool is nil, especially given Jurgen Klopp will be leaving come the end of the season. It is unclear how much Phillips would cost, but Palmer told FLW that he would be cheaper than signing Rodon.
“He [Farke] has to try and plan for life in the Premier League, and life in the Championship. I don’t think Leeds could afford Rodon with the money Spurs are asking for unless they’re in the Premier League.
“Nat Phillips could be afforded whether they’re in the Premier League or not, so promotion or not, Phillips would be a player that he would want to sign. He’d be a good option to play in the Championship.”
What Micah Richards said about Phillips after Real Madrid clash
Back in the 2020-21 Champions League quarter-finals, Liverpool took on Real Madrid with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all injured and it saw Phillips start against Karim Benzema.
Liverpool lost the first leg 3-1 in Madrid, before drawing 0-0 at Anfield in the second leg as Phillips kept Benzema quiet. Micah Richards praised Phillips for stopping one of the world’s best strikers in Benzema.
“I wanted to ensure he got the credit he deserved for his display against Real Madrid. Karim Benzema is one of the world’s best but Phillips kept him quiet. He can become a very good top-flight defender.”