Leeds United news as Aston Villa eye ‘cut-price’ move for £26m star as legend address ‘difficult’ situation

Leeds United continue their preparations for the final game of the Premier League season against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

The Whites remain in the survival battle but need to beat Spurs and hope Leicester City fail to win and Everton lose. Both sides are at home, to West Ham and Bournemouth respectively.

It is out of Leeds’ hands, but their focus will be on doing their part when Ryan Mason’s side visit Elland Road on Sunday. As the club prepare for the final day, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding Elland Road.

Rodrigo interest

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is keen to sign Spanish forward Rodrigo this summer if Leeds are relegated on Sunday.

The striker has enjoyed a strong season, scoring 13 times in the Premier League despite suffering from injury at key points of the campaign.

Fichajes in Spain report Emery is eager to bring Rodrigo to Villa Park in a “cut-price” move this summer. Villa are on course to secure a place in the Europa Conference League next season and will need depth to compete on another front.

Emery and Rodrigo previously work together at Valencia and the forward is out of contract at the end of next season, meaning Leeds may be forced to sell the player or risk losing him for free in 12 months.

Eddie Gray on ‘difficult situation’

Leeds United legend Eddie Gray visited the Leeds players at Thorp Arch this week as the Whites seek to escape Premier League relegation.

“I just went up to see the boys,” he told the YEP, of Tuesday’s visit to Thorp Arch. “It wasn’t anything really, I didn’t say much at all.

“It’s a difficult situation but you’ve just got to get a result yourself and hopefully everything falls into place for you. That’s the situation we’re in. It’s been like that for a few weeks now.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise, it might come as a bit of a shock to people when it comes to the final game but it was always going to come down to this looking at the fixtures and the way things were going.”

Southampton move for Martin

Rubén Sellés will not be in charge of already-relegated Southampton in the Championship next season after the club confirmed his short-term deal would not be renewed.

A club statement read: “Southampton Football Club can confirm that it has held conversations with Men’s First Team Manager, Rubén Sellés, and decided that his contract will not be renewed when it expires at the end of the season.

“The club wants to place on record its thanks to Rubén for taking on the managerial position at a difficult time for the club and for giving his all as we attempted to stay in the Premier League. Rubén will take charge of the team for the final game against Liverpool on Sunday at St Mary’s. We wish him all the best for his future career.”

Southampton are set to move for Swansea City boss Russell Martin.

On what that means for Leeds, Joe Donnohue wrote in the YEP: “If Leeds are to be relegated on Sunday, they’ll likely go up against Southampton next year at the right end of the table, owing to the residual quality and/or experience in both squads. As always with the Championship, it is difficult to predict which teams coming down from the Premier League will immediately challenge for promotion back to the top flight, nestle in mid-table or hurtle towards the trap door into League One.

“Typically, those who act fast during the preceding summer are the ones competing at the top come the end of the season. With survival still a possibility, however slim it may be, few Leeds supporters would choose to be in Southampton’s already-relegated shoes. But, it has afforded the Saints’ hierarchy time to plan ahead, making a head-start on the teams likely to be their divisional rivals next season.”