Luke Ayling’s time at Leeds United is up, it’s Cody Drameh o’clock
Luke Ayling might have been one of the best players for Leeds United this season but Jesse Marsch needs to make room for one of the club’s best young talents.
Cody Drameh kicked up a storm by leaving the club on loan in January for Championship Cardiff City and he has hit the ground running in the Welsh capital.
The 20-year-old was recently nominated in Football League World’s fan-voted Player of the Month shortlist after a string of fine displays for Steve Morison’s Bluebirds.
His marauding runs from right wing-back have become a key asset in Cardiff’s attacking armoury and supporters at the Cardiff City Stadium have been indulging in his magnificence ever since he joined.
He already has some Premier League experience under his belt having featured for the Whites under Marcelo Bielsa during the height of the Elland Road injury crisis in December.
He has to make that step to being a first-team regular next season and that will leave Ayling with a big dilemma.
On the face of things, he would have two options if Marsch was to hang his hat on Drameh’s stepping up with confidence.
One would be to leave LS11 in search of football elsewhere as a first-choice right-back but the other may be even better for Leeds.
If he is able to reinvent himself into a centre-back rather than a right-back, he could become that marauding defender who charges out of the backline to create an extra body in midfield that is often lacking in the Whites team.
He, alongside captain Liam Cooper, would possibly be the best duo Marsch could select next season if the Englishman would be willing to relinquish his right-back spot for the up and coming Drameh.
In other Leeds United news, Fabrizio Romano has offered clarification regarding one key condition in Barcelona’s hunt for Raphinha.