Leeds United have already been sent ‘turd’ warning over summer transfer ‘target’

Leeds United have already been told why they might want to be careful when attempting to sign a certain player this summer. The Whites are already preparing for the new season, and Daniel Farke faces a tough job to get his squad in order ahead of the new season.

The fitness part shouldn’t be too tricky, but Farke and the club’s chiefs need to offload many of the big earners while also bringing in players who are capable of helping the Whites push for promotion back to the Premier League. According to reports, Newcastle United star Ryan Fraser could be one of those players, with the winger available for transfer this summer.

Fraser has been frozen out by the Magpies, told to train with the under-21s after an apparent falling out with Eddie Howe. The Scot initially played under Howe at Newcastle, but anyone with previous history of what came before will have known a falling out was always likely.

That’s because, in 2020, Fraser was asked to sign a short-term contract extension by AFC Bournemouth, who were then managed by Howe. The covid pandemic meant the Premier League season extended beyond June 30 - the date that out of contract players see their deals expire.

Most players did pen new deals, but Fraser decided not to pen an extension, and thus decided not to help Bournemouth in the final games of their relegation battle. The Cherries were later relegated, Howe left the club he loves by mutual consent, and Fraser joined Newcastle that summer.

Howe then took over Newcastle more than a year later, and while Fraser featured early on, a falling out would follow, with Howe citing ‘committment’ issues for sending Fraser to train with ‘the kids’.

Fraser has also come in for criticism from pundits, with TalkSPORT’s Simon Jordan issuing his verdict on the winger’s Bournemouth decision back in 2020.

”I look at this guy’s character and I think: ‘You’re a turd’,” Jordan said at the time. “If I’m Newcastle, I’m looking at this wretched individual thinking: ‘When it came to adversity you didn’t want to stand up’.”

Fast-forward more than two years, and Jordan was asked to revisit those comments based on Howe’s decision to cast Fraser aside.

“It’s funny how things come around, isn’t it? At the end of the day everything equalises out and you get to find out what people really are about,” Jordan added. “I made some very strong and not the most eloquent comments about Ryan Fraser, I wasn’t the most complimentary, but I was right about him.

“I think he’s one of those players you simply do not want in your dressing room if you want to achieve anything meaningful. Ryan Fraser didn’t fancy staying at Bournemouth because it was in that COVID season there were challenges about contract extensions and people playing after their June 30th contract dates, and he didn’t want any of it.

“I called him a rather unfortunate name, but I retain the right to remain in that perspective, because I think he’s shown his true colours and Eddie Howe has served him up.”