Adam Forshaw future in doubt as Leeds United close in on Weston McKennie transfer
As Leeds United close in on the signing of USMNT international Weston McKennie, that could be all she wrote for Adam Forshaw’s career at the club.
Forshaw joined the club back in 2018 from Middlesbrough and immediately became a key man and a fan favourite at Elland Road as the club battled up from the Championship to the Premier League.
Injuries mean that he hasn’t been able to make a similar impact since the club’s promotion to the top flight, and he hasn’t been able to claim back his regular starting spot either.
First he was behind Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips under Marcelo Bielsa, and this season he has found himself behind Marc Roca and Tyler Adams in the heart of the midfield under Jesse Marsch.
Sam Greenwood and Darko Gyabi have shown their ability to fill in when necessary at stages, but just like Klich was moved on this month to DC United after limited game time, it now seems likely that the same will happen to Forshaw.
The 31-year-old has made just six appearances in all competitions so far this season, and his current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023 although the club have the option of an extra year.
With McKennie set to join the club on an initial six-month loan deal with the option to make the deal permanent in the summer should Leeds avoid relegation, it seems almost certain now that Forshaw will be playing his final games for the club in the coming months.
For fans of the club, it will be a sad day when he eventually is moved on and allowed to leave. But it’s also a positive sign of how far the club has come now in a short space of time.
It will be highly unlikely that Forshaw will make it to 100 appearances for the club despite spending six seasons at the club, and the fact that he now won’t be able to make it into the squad shows our improvements.
Adams and McKennie have got a phenomenal rapport with the international team and provide great energy and ability on the ball, as well as a defensive solidity that not many midfields in the Premier League have.
Add to that the quality of Marc Roca on the ball and the new-found depth we have, plus young options like Greenwood and Gyabi, it should be seen as a positive for fans to look forward to.
It’ll be bittersweet, but the club is moving forward and it’s exciting that we are now able to attract that calibre of players to Elland Road to push the boundaries of what we can achieve together.
In other Leeds news, one player has jetted in to complete his move to Leeds prior to the deadline.