Leeds United will have Premier League competition in their pursuit of Joe Rodon this summer.
Ipswich Town are apparently keeping a careful eye on Joe Rodon’s situation this summer, as he approaches the exit door at Tottenham Hotspur. Rodon spent the season on loan at Leeds United, and the Whites are widely believed to be interested in signing the Wales international permanently this summer if they can.
However, it appears that they will face heavy competition for his signature, with Premier League clubs reportedly showing interest. Southampton has already been linked with a move for Rodon, and Ipswich Town, who secured automatic promotion to the Premier League, may also be interested.
That’s according to Football.London’s Alastair Gold, who claims Kieran McKenna admires the Welshman and speculates that a move to Portman Road is an option. Rodon has one season left on his Spurs deal, but he is not part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans and will be free to depart permanently if a suitable offer is offered.
The defender was declared surplus to requirements last summer, prompting his move to Leeds for the season, and his performance in West Yorkshire guarantees he is in high demand heading into the summer. As a Championship team, United may have their job cut out in trying to sign the centre-back, but if the player is given a choice, they have every reason to be optimistic considering Rodon’s history at Elland Road and his bond with the club and its supporters. Rodon joined Leeds last August and made his debut in a loss to Birmingham City at St Andrew’s, before going on to make 50 appearances this season under Daniel Farke. The centre-back started all but four games in all competitions after joining the club, with 44 consecutive starting lineups featuring the former Swansea City player.
As a result, he played a key role in Leeds’ fight for automatic promotion and subsequent play-off campaign, forming excellent relationships with Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu. The latter friendship, between international teammates no less, emerged in the second part of the season, when a run of 10 clean sheets in 13 games propelled Leeds to the top of the division.
Unfortunately, his time at Leeds ended in sadness at Wembley Stadium, where Southampton beat Leeds to promotion by winning the Championship play-off final, but it’s fair to say he left his impact at Elland Road. Rodon was forced to withdraw from the Wales team due to injury this month, so he did not play in the disastrous friendlies against Gibraltar and Slovakia, which saw Rob Page harshly condemned as Wales drew 0-0 and lost 4-0, respectively. With his lack of a future at Tottenham evident, Rodon will undoubtedly be eager to complete his next move as soon as possible, allowing him to move on and properly prepare for the forthcoming season with his new team.
