Crysencio Summerville favourites now 'out of £30m race' as Leeds United praised for Joe Rodon swoop
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Leeds United are less than one month away from the start of their 2024/25 season with a home clash against newly-promoted Portsmouth to kick things off on August 10. Daniel Farke’s side have been back at Thorp Arch over the past week or so to undergo baseline tests and work on their fitness, with the first summer friendly at League Two Harrogate Town just eight days away. They will then head to Germany for a pre-season training camp and will soon be back at Elland Road.
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Hide AdFarke and his squad have been hard at work on the pitch these past few days but those behind the scenes have been equally busy, with Leeds kicking into gear their summer business with the arrivals of Joe Rodon and Alex Cairns. Much of the focus has been on outgoings so far, either to raise vital funds or move on those without a place in Farke’s plans. There will be plenty more activity before the August 30 deadline and the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories surrounding the club.
Summerville latest
Leeds have received a boost in their hopes of keeping Crysencio Summerville with reports claiming previous front-runners Brighton & Hove Albion are out of the race. TEAMtalk reports that after making initial contact over a move earlier this summer, talks have not progressed and a move to the AMEX is looking unlikely for the Dutch winger.
Summerville was widely expected to leave Leeds this summer after an outstanding first season of regular football in which he registered 21 goals and 10 assists, earning the Championship’s Player of the Season Award in the process. Liverpool and Chelsea have been regularly linked but Brighton emerged as front-runners when Fabrizio Romano reported they had made initial contact over a move.
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Hide AdBut there has been no suggestion of any progress in the following weeks and it seems the possibility of a move to Brighton has fizzled out. The YEP understands that after receiving £40million for Archie Gray, Leeds are no longer actively looking to sell any of their players, including Summerville.
Rodon move praised
Former Leeds midfielder David Norris has praised the decision to sign Rodon permanently and believes it ‘looks great’ that the defender reportedly turned down offers of Premier League football in favour of a return to Elland Road. The centre-back’s £10m move from Tottenham Hotspur was confirmed earlier this month, following an excellent year on loan.
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Hide AdTottenham’s £10m valuation was an early issue for Leeds and reports of interest from Southampton, Brentford and Leicester City suggested a permanent return was unlikely. But after selling Gray to Spurs for £40m, cash was available and Rodon insisted his preferred destination was always back in West Yorkshire.
“I think that’s a great bit of business, getting Rodon to come the other way,” Norris told MOT Leeds News. “He was class last season, and all the fans were raving about him. There were rumours of clubs interested from the Premier League, so it’s a really good bit of business. I think it looks great on Leeds that Rodon seemed to want to come back over other clubs, and chose to come back permanently.”