Leeds United remain hopeful of retaining the services of Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon but two more clubs have entered the race for the Welshman’s signature this summer, according to the latest reports.
The Wales international moved to Elland Road last summer on a season-long loan and became a fan-favourite in West Yorkshire. Rodon was a key player under Daniel Farke as the side battled for a return to the Premier League. However, his future at the club always hinged on promotion to the Premier League.
It was reported by Football Insider back in March that Spurs were willing to sell Rodon during the summer transfer window but were looking for between £10-15 million for his services. Having failed to win promotion to the top-flight following a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Wembley Stadium three weeks ago, re-signing Rodon has become a much more difficult task.
TeamTalk are claiming that Leeds United are still interested in bringing the 26-year-old back to the club over the coming months. However, the outlet have reported that they now face stiff competition for the centre-back as both Southampton and Ipswich Town have joined the race.
The former Swansea City defender made 50 appearances for the Whites in all competitions across the 2023/24 campaign, including 43 in the Championship. Nevertheless, with clubs in the Premier League keen to secure his services, it will prove to be an incredibly difficult task for Leeds to bring him back to the club this summer.
Leeds United owe quite a lot of money right now. The club still have a debt of £190 million in outstanding credit from player purchases over the past few seasons and £73 million of this needs to be paid by the end of the month, meaning the board may have to offload some key assets before any new arrivals come through the door.
As a result, signing Rodon for a fee of between £10-15 million seems outside the realm of possibility. The Welshman is now good enough to play in the Premier League and both the Saints and Ipswich will have the money to pay Spurs’ asking price.
