Leeds United told to beat Southampton to "outstanding" Spurs star | OneFootball

Paul Robinson has urged Leeds United to push forward with pursuit of Joe Rodon from Tottenham Hotspur.

Rodon spent the campaign on loan at Elland Road, where he cemented himself as a key part of Daniel Farke’s first team squad.

The Wales international featured 43 times in the Championship, including 42 starts, as the team narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League (all stats from Fbref).

No option to buy clause was agreed with Spurs as part of the loan deal, meaning he is set to return to London now that the campaign has ended.

However, speculation has persisted over the possibility of the centre-back joining the Yorkshire outfit on a permanent basis.

Robinson makes Joe Rodon transfer claim

Robinson has urged Leeds to pursue a permanent move for Rodon despite their failure to gain promotion to the Premier League.

The 44-year-old believes that defence is an area Farke will need to improve this summer anyway, so keeping Rodon permanently makes a lot of sense.

“I think they need to get him on a permanent – he’s been outstanding this season with Ethan Ampadu at centre-half,” said Robinson, via MOT Leeds.

“If Liam Cooper moves on, it’s an area they’ll need to recruit in anyway, but it’s whether they can actually get a deal done.

“He’s had that good a season that I think there’ll be a number of suitors for him.

“We know he’s not going to be integrated back into the Tottenham squad; Ange Postecoglou is moving his team forward, so there’s an opportunity to buy the player.

“I suspect Leeds won’t be the only team at the table because of the season he’s had.

“He’s played really well so I suspect some Premier League teams will be looking at him.

“It’ll come down to his personal preference, in a similar way to Ben White.

“Leeds tried their hardest to sign him. Now look at what he’s gone on to achieve at Arsenal.

“I think, with Rodon, in a similar way they’ve got it all on to make the deal permanent, and I think they should.”

Leeds face Rodon competition

Leeds are not the only club with an interest in signing Rodon from Spurs this summer, with reports suggesting Southampton are also keen.

This would be quite the double whammy for the Whites if they were to lose Rodon to the Saints after suffering defeat to Russell Martin’s side in the play-off final in late May.

The 1-0 loss at Wembley Stadium cost the club a chance at promotion to the top flight.

It could now also cost them a move for the Spurs defender, if he is convinced to make the switch to St. Mary’s this summer instead.

Rodon deal should be a priority for Leeds

Leeds face a busy summer ahead, which is why they should prioritise sorting out Rodon’s future as quickly as possible.

Even if he ultimately opts to move elsewhere, the sooner they find that out the better so that they can map out the rest of their window.

It would be a huge blow if he were to move to Southampton, or elsewhere, as he has proven a key asset in Farke’s team.

Defence is an area Leeds will need to strengthen, so signing Rodon early in the summer would be a great start to the market for the club.