Despite Marcelo Bielsa having a small squad during his tenure at Elland Road, Jesse Marsch has still been left with a number of players whose time at the club is naturally coming to an end.
In the case of forward Tyler Roberts, many feel his stint at the Whites has run 12 months over what it should have, with the Welsh international struggling to make a sustained impact during the five years he’s had on West Yorkshire.
Often on the receiving end of criticism from the fanbase, nobody could ever question the effort the 23-year-old has put in while playing for United, however there was a general consensus that he was one of Bielsa’s ‘favourites’ and that he would not have had the same amount of opportunities under a different manager.
Before injury ended his season, new boss Marsch did continue to use Roberts in the short time he had him at his disposal, but it appears time has finally run out for the former West Brom man with other players such as Joe Gelhardt showing much greater potential.
The hierarchy at Elland Road have put Roberts on the market and there is no shortage of interest with Championship sides Queens Park Rangers, Hull City, Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town all set to battle for his signature.
There is no question that dropping down a level and having a serious run of games in the second tier will suit Roberts at this stage of his career, with Leeds likely to try recoup the £4 million they paid to sign him from West Brom in 2018.
Elsewhere, Sam Greenwood and Crysencio Summerville are on the verge of signing long-term contracts at Elland Road with their deals due to expire in 2024.
Greenwood was the one player who really benefitted from Marsch’s arrival at the club, as the former Arsenal man played a significant part in helping Leeds survive after he was used sparingly under Bielsa.
Summerville has played first team minutes at the club but is still yet to feature over more than one game at a time despite having huge potential and constantly standing out for the under-23s.
It is expected though that the pacey Dutch winger will be used on a more consistent basis this coming season and alongside Greenwood and Gelhardt, he will sign a long-term deal at the Whites and be an important part of the club’s future.
Good calls
You have to feel that Leeds are making some good decisions on their youngsters and fringe players.
For Roberts a move away from the club should have happened last summer. Signing a new deal surprised many at the time and from what we’ve seen, the Premier League is just a step up too far for a player who is far too inconsistent.
He will benefit from a move to the Championship, a league where his lack of ability and poor decision-making in key areas won’t be punished to the extent it has been in the top flight.
It may sound a little harsh and it probably is, because Roberts is a good lad who works hard and was part of the promotion-winning team, however the time has come to thank him for his efforts and cash in while we still can.
As far as the new deals for Greenwood and Summerville go, I don’t think I’m the only one who is happy with this news.
Having learned earlier this week that Gelhardt is on the verge of signing a long-term contract with the club, it is music to my ears that Greenwood and Summerville are doing the same.
Sure they need to get a little stronger and more experienced at this level, but all three have yet to reach their 21st birthday and by the end of this current season you can expect their stock will have risen considerably.
