Leeds United ‘have got an issue’ in January transfer window after Djed Spence sent back to Tottenham – BBC Sport pundit
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Leeds United have “got an issue” at full-back which has been made greater by terminating a Djed Spence loan move which “didn’t work”, says Paul Robinson.
The Tottenham defender arrived at Elland Road with high expectations at the end of the summer window, with an eye-catching late cameo off the bench on his Whites debut against Sheffield Wednesday on 2 September leading to the assumption that he could potentially reprise the form he displayed for Nottingham Forest two seasons ago.
But an injury immediately after that game kept him out for over two months, and despite six appearances following his return to fitness Daniel Farke saw fit to send him back to Spurs this month while commenting at length, in a more general fashion, on “professionalism” and “discipline” in the squad [Yorkshire Evening Post, 5 January].
It is therefore a move that evidently didn’t work as planned in BBC Sport pundit Robinson’s view, and with injury worries at left-back, where Spence made four of his five Leeds United starts, and midfielder Archie Gray the de facto starter at right-back, it has added to a “problem” for Farke at full-back.
Following Spence’s exit, and subsequent loan to Genoa as part of Spurs’ signing of Radu Dragusin, Luke Ayling has also been allowed to depart, on a loan to Middlesbrough which will end his Whites career.
So the club are now looking especially short at both full-back positions during the January transfer window, which Robinson has highlighted.
Speaking to MOT Leeds News he said of Spence’s exit: “It’s a loan that clearly didn’t work. You listen to the manager’s comments on him, he did a 10-12 minute interview talking about how it didn’t work.
“For both parties it didn’t work, but for whatever reason. If you look at Farke’s comments I think he was quite open and honest as to why it didn’t work.
“They have got an issue in the full-back areas. Archie Gray’s played there and he’s been fantastic.
“But left-back has been a problem this season and Djed Spence, whether he’s not been fit or not been performing, the loan hasn’t worked.”
In other Leeds United news, a former fan-favourite has reacted to a major January transfer window development at Elland Road.