Pundit predicts no Leeds January exits unless ‘great’ start to Championship ends
We’re delighted to welcome former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson as our exclusive columnist as each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Leeds United …
Paul Robinson is confident Leeds United players will want to stay at Elland Road if the side is in the play-off places when the January transfer window comes around.
Despite a few wobbles in the opening 11 fixtures, Leeds have emerged at promotion contenders after earning a fifth–place spot in the Championship ahead of the second international break of the season.
The club’s summer business has proved a success, with Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon hitting the ground running as the club’s standouts. However, after such a convincing start, speculation about January departures for non-new signings will naturally begin. Willy Gnonto, Crysencio Summerville and Goerginio Rutter have proved their quality and top-flight clubs could be circling for deals.
However, Robinson has downplayed suggestions that these players of this ilk would want to leave the club at all. If the Whites can maintain a playoff spot or even an automatic promotion spot, Robinson claims that the players will want to remain to be part of a winning team that has a real chance of promotion.
Speaking exclusively to MOT Leeds News, Robinson said, when asked if fans should worry about January departures: “No, not really because they’re part of a good thing at the moment. Things are going really well in the Championship apart from the result against Southampton, I think the season’s been really great.
“The way that Leeds are playing, the results they’re getting and if they’re sitting fifth in the league come January, or if they’re there or thereabouts, players are going to want to be part of a squad that achieves something and hopefully that can be with Leeds this season.
“The manager seems to have things right and he seems to be man managing the squad. He’s getting players back from injury. So with the squad that they’ve got, you would think that they’d be challenging and players who want to be a part of that.”
In other Leeds United news, Daniel Farke must keep a youngster grounded after his international future was mooted.