Leeds United transfer news: Phil Hay shares Elland Road plan behind ‘absolutely terrific’ Ben Davies deal from Tottenham in January
Leeds United are hoping that Ben Davies will become “peripheral” at Tottenham thanks to the transfer business done by the Premier League club this month, according to Phil Hay.
The Athletic journalist said on the Square Ball Podcast on 19 January that he still believes the Welshman heading to the second tier on loan is “farfetched”, even if it would be an “absolutely terrific” deal for the Whites, but has outlined the thinking behind the January interest.
Davies has featured extensively at centre-back this term but Spurs have signed Radu Dragusin from Genoa this month in a deal which sent ex-Elland Road loanee Djed Spence the opposite direction, but there are claims that his father is a Leeds supporter and he is close with current Welsh Tottenham loanee Joe Rodon.
Hay said (11.10am): “The thinking with Davies is because Spurs have been doing business defensively that he might become peripheral, and if he does perhaps there’d be an opportunity there.
“Davies seems to me to be one of those players who seems like quite a farfetched idea that he tips up in the Championship for six months, he’s a really good player and has been pretty heavily involved at Tottenham.
“That would strike me as a long shot but that sort of signing would be absolutely terrific.”
Host Dan Moylan then added: “He’s got Leeds fans in the family hasn’t he though? His dad is a Leeds fan, reportedly, and he’s best mates with Joe Rodon. Could he be in his ear saying, ‘It’s brilliant here’?”
Wishful thinking
There is some logic to the view at Leeds United, and the presence of the likes of Rodon, Ethan Amapadu and Dan James at Elland Road can’t exactly hurt.
But Ange Postecoglou has clearly demonstrated to Davies that he trusts him if necessary so 30-year-old knows he will have opportunities if there are more injuries and suspensions in North London.
With Cristian Romero in the line-up the latter is a regular risk and their season so far has suggested that, much like at Leeds usually, injuries will be a feature of the campaign.
If Davies’ has influences around him in the form of his dad and the likes of Rodon that might tilt him towards West Yorkshire then it probably gives the club as good a hope as anyone in the second tier of landing him.
But it is still surely unlikely that he is actually going to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this month unless there is a clear indication that his game time is going to drop dramatically.
The glimmer of hope comes from the fact that he has only seen one start at his favoured left-back spot in the Premier League this term, where he would seemingly be a perfect answer to Daniel Farke’s issues at the position, thanks to the emergence of Destiny Udogie.
He has instead started nine of his 14 top flight outings as an emergency centre-back, where Dragusin’s signing and the return from injury of Romero and Micky van de Ven have crowded his path.
The fact that Davies himself is currently out injured into February [Premier Injuries] could factor in either way, as Spurs may move on without him, but that necessarily makes him less of a useful option for Farke to bring in.
In other Leeds United news, a target the club wants has rejected interest from the Whites’ transfer rivals.
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