Leeds United: Sonny Perkins fails as Daniel Farke will not use him
Sonny Perkins is better off back at Leeds United even if he will struggle to break into the first team after his loan to Oxford United didn’t work, according to Paul Robinson.
The 20-year-old saw his temporary switch ended early during the January transfer window after managing only three outings in League One, totalling four minutes [Transfermarkt], from six across all competitions.
Having already made the briefest of Whites appearances at the start of the campaign he had no chance of a second move and looks set to be confined to the under-21s for the remainder of the season, with Robinson not confident of his Elland Road prospects at present after so little action and with a dominant first-team squad above him.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News: “It’s difficult to say because we haven’t seen much from him, we haven’t seen enough of him.
“The manager’s got a starting XI, he’s got a very strong squad, and it’s going to be hard to break into that.
“They’re at a stage of the season where he’s going to stick to what he’s got. He’s not in a place where he’s going to bring youngsters into the side unless he really needs to because they’re playing so well.
“For Perkins it’s hard to say because he hasn’t had that many first-team minutes, his loan to Oxford hasn’t worked.
“If a player’s at Oxford and it’s not working and he’s not playing then he’s probably better off playing with top Championship-potentially Premier League players, with the manager at Leeds and the way that he wants his players to develop, rather than Oxford where he’s not playing.
“You’re better off with Leeds where there’s better players and a better manager, and I think that’s the situation that he’s in.
“The loan obviously hasn’t worked but as far as his development’s concerned he’s better off at Leeds every day than he is at Oxford.”
Leeds United under-21s better for Sonny Perkins than struggle in League One?
The senior attack under Daniel Farke is crowded with options so Perkins is going to struggle to get a look in with every game now crucial in the race for promotion.
With all of Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford, as well as Mateo Joseph and Joe Gelhardt, ahead of him in the pecking order it has ultimately proven a frustrating campaign for the former West Ham youngster.
His arrival from the London Stadium was seen as contentious in the capital but after scoring for fun in age group sides for club and country last season his development has been stalled by his switch to the Kassam Stadium.
Ultimately his one-minute outing in the season opener against Cardiff (6 August) prior to departing proved a mistake when a second loan would have surely been the preference in January.
In other Leeds United news, the Whites have since brought in yet another attacking talent, this time from Manchester United.
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