Massive Leeds United transfer verdict issued as Newcastle, Brighton, Aston Villa eye Crysencio Summerville
Daniel Farke has to keep hold of his Leeds United stars this month in order to be able to maintain a push for promotion, according to Jermaine Pennant.
The former Whites winger told Football League World (6 January) that it is “massive” for the German not to lose any key men as it would mean “breaking the DNA of your team”, but if he keeps the side together he is the “perfect man” to take the club back to the Premier League.
Winger Crysencio Summerville above all is attracting interest from the likes of Newcastle, Brighton [Alan Nixon via Patreon, 24 December] and Aston Villa [Fabrizio Romano, 25 December] in the top flight, but Leeds aren’t expected to let him go.
Pennant said of keeping the side in tact: “Oh it’s massive. As soon as you start breaking that up you’re breaking the DNA of your team. Everyone’s gelled, they’ve got all the know-how, they know how to work together.
“They know each other so it’s very, very, very important they keep the core of that team.
“Daniel Farke, he’s the Championship promotion king. He’s been there and done it with Norwich City, he knows how to go up. He goes up, comes down, goes up – he’s like a yo-yo.
“He’s the perfect man for the job, but he needs to keep key players if they want to maintain this run and get back in the Premier League.”
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Despite the recent dip in form during the busy Christmas schedule it is still impossible to ignore the fact that this Leeds United side has shown it can overcome anyone in the division.
Three wins from three against league-leaders Leicester and second-placed Ipswich Town prove Farke should be able to secure promotion based on the quality of his starting XI at least.
Were it not for the early-season confusion and the maddening tendency to drop points after flat performances in comparatively unthreatening fixtures then the Whites would be pushing for automatic promotion by now rather than fighting it out in the play-off places.
The primary complaint against the manager is that he has failed to rotate his squad sufficiently, which may be based on his view that the drop off from his starters to the back-up options is significant.
Were the likes of Summerville, Georginio Rutter, or Archie Gray removed from the line-up then it would leave a big hole that would have to be plugged.
The teenager has attracted the attention of Borussia Dortmund [ESPN, 27 December] and Liverpool himself [Romano, 12 November].
The financial benefits of promotion back to the Premier League likely outweighs any individual transfer fee that could be brought in for a star player, so keeping the most important men at Elland Road undoubtedly has to be a priority.
Should Farke fail to add another return to the top flight to his record then he is likely to lose most, if not all, of the big names that are currently driving his side forward in the summer, but between now and then they have an important job to do in West Yorkshire.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay says one exit-linked Whites ace is “definitely not happy” at the club amid “loads of interest”.