If Joe Rodon does not stay, Leeds United may warmly welcome back this forgotten face.
Joe Rodon continued to look like one of the better signings in the Championship this season at the back against Hull City on Easter Monday, putting in a tenacious performance as the Tigers attempted to catch the Whites sleeping.
The Tottenham Hotspur loanee made three blocks to ensure Fabio Carvalho was the only Hull player to find the back of Illan Meslier’s net in Leeds’ 3-1 triumph, and he walked off the Elland Road pitch grinning because he won 100% of his aerial duels.
It would be devastating for Leeds if Rodon was not kept in West Yorkshire beyond his current season-long loan deal, but Daniel Farke and his team will be keeping an eye on this forgotten Whites figure as a potential replacement for their star loanee if the 26-year-old defender does return to North London.
Maximilian Wober’s loan period
Maximilian Wober might return to Elland Road revitalised to change Leeds fans’ perceptions of him, despite the Austrian defender’s brief tenure at the club being marred by relegation only months after moving to England.
Wober, who immediately jumped ship in the Championship, has quickly become an important member of Borussia Mönchengladbach‘s loan squad.
The 26-year-old was as tenacious for his new club against 1. FC Heidenheim as Rodon was against Hull lately, surpassing the Spurs loanee’s duels won total with six in the 1-1 away draw this month.
Wober, who scored a goal and assisted three times while playing out of the back in his native Germany, could fit into Farke’s system at Leeds if given a second chance when he returns.
With Gladbach unlikely to try to tie the 6 foot 2 man down to a permanent deal, according to Sport Witness, the asking price from Leeds for the Austrian defender could be a sticking point. Leeds could benefit from re-signing Wober, especially if Rodon returns to Spurs.
It’s not as if Wober flopped in a Leeds shirt during his traumatic first few months at Elland Road, as he emerged from that toxic period in the club’s recent history with a positive attitude.
Wober’s future in Leeds
Wober finished his 16 Premier League games last season with a decent 6.84 Sofascore rating, however his defence teammates did not fare as well, with Pascal Struijk finishing with a 6.75 score.
He was even regarded as a “leader” by ex-Whites manager Jesse Marsch, and Farke may take a similar liking to the 26-year-old if he returns revitalised.
Winning 3.3 duels on average per game in the top level and registering four clearances per game, everyone at Leeds will be hoping their tossed aside £11 million player can improve dramatically on his return after a confidence-boosting loan deal to the Bundesliga expires.
If Wober is given a chance at redemption, Farke will be hoping that Ethan Ampadu and the ex-Red Bull Salzburg player can develop an equally powerful connection to rival the one he presently has with Rodon.
It may seem like the end of the world for the Whites if they lose Rodon at the end of this season, but as has been seen in the past with Leeds managing to move on after losing the likes of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips, the Championship title contenders would be able to go again, with Wober benefiting.
Of course, there is still a long way to go before the end of the forthcoming summer transfer season, and Rodon and Wober’s careers at Elland Road might take a number of unexpected turns.
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