West Brom will hope that Leeds United and Tottenham can cut fresh summer deal: View | OneFootball

Joe Rodon could hold the key to transfer tussle for Eric Smith, with both West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United looking to sign the FC St. Pauli defender.

The Championship duo are gearing up for another season in the second tier, after both suffered play-offs heartache at the hands of Southampton. The Baggies finished fifth in the table, but lost their second leg of the semi-final against the Saints 3-1 at St. Mary's after a stalemate draw at the Hawthorns.

Leeds, meanwhile, came third and dispatched Norwich City 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-final, before losing to Southamtpon 1-0 at Wembley.

West Brom and Leeds keen to sign Eric Smith

According to Swedish outlet Sportbladet, the Whites and the Baggies have both shown interest in 27-year-old defender Eric Smith as they look to bolster their back-line options ahead of next season.

West Brom last month released veteran defender Erik Pieters, while Leeds are set to undergo a major defensive overhaul this summer with Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling out of contract and Rodon set to return to Tottenham following the end of his loan spell.

Rodon's future is high on Leeds' list of priorities. The Welshman has just 12 months remaining on his contract, with Tottenham having exercised a one-year extension option last week, but he's surplus to requirements at Tottenham.

TEAMTalk reported last week that Premier League newcomers Southampton were plotting a £15m bid, while Burnley's interest has cooled down after they were relegated to the Championship after just one season in the top-flight.

West Brom will be hoping Joe Rodon returns to Leeds United so that they can try to sign Eric Smith

Leeds did not include an option to buy in their loan deal for Rodon, but remain hopeful of securing his services for another season as they look to return to the Premier League.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, the 26-year-old is reluctant to start afresh at a new club after settling at Elland Road, but Leeds' need to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules means they must sell some of their prized assets before they can buy this summer.

For their part, West Brom will be hoping the Whites can re-sign Rodon either on loan or permanently as that would leave the Baggies in the boxseat in the race to sign Smith.

Like the Welshman, the St. Pauli centre-back cuts an imposing figure at 6ft 4in, and he's perhaps even more comfortable than Rodon with the ball at his feet, having also played as a holding midfielder.

Smith was set to become a free agent in June, but signed a one-year extension with St. Pauli in February, meaning the 2. Bundesliga champions will be able to command a fee this summer. The Swedish defender, however, will in all likelihood come cheaper than Rodon.

Losing the latter would be a major blow for Leeds, as he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the division, as well as a firm fan favourite in West Yorkshire.

The 26-year-old was almost ever-present and made 50 appearances for the club in all competitions this season and struck an impressive centre-back partnership with Pascal Struijk in the first half of the campaign and with Ethan Ampadu from January onwards.

The Baggies find themselves in the unusual scenario of hoping one of their main promotion rivals can strengthen their team, as it would pave the way for them to complete some business of their own, and with centre-backs Kyle Bartley and Cedric Kipre's futures up in the air, additions are definitely needed at the back.

Despite being contracted to what is now a top flight German side, Smith may be tempted to make the jump to England and to have a potential shot of playing Premier League football in 2025-26; but Carlos Corberan will have his work cut out trying to land the Swede if Leeds are not able to bring Wales international Rodon back to West Yorkshire.