The future of Joe Rodon certainly remains a major topic of Leeds United’s transfer window.
Leeds will officially be able to start conducting business from this Friday onwards and the potential of a return for Rodon is undoubtedly one of the key priorities at Elland Road.
Rodon spent the season on loan at Leeds from Tottenham Hotspur, but with no option-to-buy having been included in the deal, his future remains up in the air.
Leeds are said to have told Rodon they will do everything they can in order to bring him back to the club, but at the same time, they could also face competition from the Premier League.
Had Leeds been promoted, a permanent deal for Rodon was said to be a near certainty, but the financials of remaining in the Championship are what could prove to be a stumbling block.
Ben Jacobs shares Postecoglou did at Tottenham after watching Rodon
Rodon’s contract had been due to expire at the end of this month, until Tottenham decided to trigger a one-year extension.
That could enable Leeds to swoop in and potentially sign him on loan again, but this time include a future buy option so that all parties are protected.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Just Joe Football Show, journalist Ben Jacobs has delved into more detail regarding why Spurs opted to do so.
Jacobs claimed that after watching footage of him in action for Leeds, it was a decision actually driven by manager Ange Postecoglou, who was impressed with what he saw.
He said: “Leicester are not interested, that’s one thing I have been told clearly. I think the extension was part of being down to a good season, and partly as a protection mechanism where if suitors come calling, you have got all of the cards, whether that’s permanence, or another loan.
“I was told this was driven by Ange Postecoglou, rather than necessarily someone on the recruitment side. In this particular instance I am told it is about Postecoglou watching a lot of the games and the footage and realising he is not old in anyway, he’s 6ft4, still mid 20s, so why not protect it, so it’s win, win.
“Then you can either sell him or loan him out. Tottenham are just doing what you’d expect, they’ve got the depth if they want to use him, but the protection if they want to loan or sell. But that does put Leeds at a bit of a disadvantage.”
What is Rodon’s stance on re-joining Leeds?
The most recent update provided by Rodon on potentially returning to Leeds came in the week leading up to the play-off final with Southampton.
At that point in time, he was certainly open to a permanent switch but whether that has changed amid interest from the Premier League, remains to be seen.
He said: “It would be nice to have stability and know where I am next season. I’ve always strived to get to the elite level and hopefully I can get back there with Leeds, but you never know.
“I don’t want to look too far into the future, although I do love it here and Leeds feels like a second home to me now. I’m just concentrating on giving my best and getting this club back to where it belongs.”