Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Watford named in Mateo Joseph, Leeds United exit claim | OneFootball

FLW's Whites fan pundit thinks Joseph could leave on loan this summer

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph has been urged to seek a loan move away from Elland Road to a Championship club this summer, with Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Watford named as potential destinations for him ahead of next season.

The Whites sealed their return to the Premier League last week as Burnley beat Sheffield United following their own thrashing of Stoke, and preparations will soon begin for next term back in the top-flight as the summer transfer window beckons.

Joseph will be one of Daniel Farke's players that is surely in line for a move away in the months to come, given his struggles to nail down a starting berth throughout this term, despite being expected to be a key man in their promotion push before the season began.

Leeds fan pundit issues Mateo Joseph summer loan prediction - sides will be 'queuing up' for his signature

Spanish youth international Joseph spent time in the academies of Racing Santander and Espanyol prior to his move to Leeds in January 2022, and he initially went into their under-23 side before making his senior debut for the club in November of the same year.

He got his first consistent taste of first-team action last season, following the Whites' relegation to the Championship, and he scored his first two senior career goals away at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round last February.

Georginio Rutter's exit and Patrick Bamford's lack of form meant that the 21-year-old was widely tipped to be a mainstay in Farke's starting eleven ahead of the start of this campaign. The reality has been far different, and so he may well be allowed out on loan this summer.

He started in each of their first eight Championship games this term, but was soon dropped in favour of Joel Piroe, after registering two goals and three assists in the first 10 outings of the season. He has started just three second-tier games since the start of October, and has struggled to feature at all in recent weeks with the promotion race heating up.

FLW's Leeds fan pundit, Kris Smith, believes that Joseph needs to seek a loan move away from Elland Road this summer, with opportunities set to be at a further premium in the top-flight, and he has named Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City and Watford as clubs that he could join if they are after a new starting striker for next season.

“A lot of fans, I think, including myself, had really high hopes for Mateo Joseph this season," Kris told FLW.

“He was phenomenal throughout pre-season, and looked ready to explode into life this season in the Championship.

“The first two months of the campaign were exactly what a lot of us expected. A lot of energy, he wasn’t scoring as many as we expected, but he was still chipping in and looked like the talent that everyone thought he was going to be.

“Following that, a dip in confidence in front of goal, the missed chance against Burnley when we lost 1-0 at Elland Road, I think it has really dented his form.

“He’s just been a shadow of that player ever since. There is obviously an immensely talented player there, and I just think he needs the backing as a regular starter to make it happen for him in the Championship.

“For me, that means getting a loan in this league next season. In terms of the clubs he could sign for, I think most sides in the league next season would fancy having him, at least as a squad player, let alone as a starter.

“Probably anyone that isn’t one of the three teams that are getting relegated from the Premier League. In particular, I think sides like Watford, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City are probably going to need a striker in the summer, and may be queuing up for Joseph if he is available.

“I just think he is ready to really hit that next level with a team that will trust him as a starter.”

Joseph has already been linked away from Leeds - a loan exit looks likely this summer

It is clear that Joseph has not enjoyed the fruitful campaign that he looked promised to have in the early stages of the season, but at just 21-years-old, it would be a huge shock to see him let go on a permanent deal anytime soon, given how highly-rated he is by many in West Yorkshire.

Leeds have already shown that they want to keep him for the long-term, after they rejected a £10m bid for his services from La Liga side Real Betis in the most recent January window, according to BBC Sport.

He was deemed too important to be let go by the Whites, but the situation was also believed to be somewhat impacted by their failure to sign Southampton striker Cameron Archer. Leeds will undoubtedly look to bolster their front-line again this summer, following promotion, which could well mean Joseph becomes available to sign, most likely on loan, unless a sizeable permanent offer comes in.

Recent reports have suggested that Premier League outfit West Ham are plotting a move for his signature in the summer window, but it seems unlikely that he would be allowed to join a fellow top-flight side.

That switch would surely make little sense from a personal point of view too, with game-time likely to be at even more of a premium in the capital compared to at Leeds next season.

If he is available for loan soon, then numerous second-tier clubs are sure to register their interest in securing his services for next season. The aforementioned trio would no doubt be interested in a move, but who would win the race to sign him remains to be seen.