Leeds United are back in action in the Championship on Sunday as they play host to Millwall at Elland Road in their latest chance to move closer to promotion back to the top-flight.
The Whites are currently second in the division and on course to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League at the first time of asking, following their relegation at the end of last season.
They are competing with the likes of Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton to avoid having to go through the play-offs, which caused them pain when they lost to Derby County in the semi-finals during the 2018/19 campaign.
Despite their route to the Premier League being far from guaranteed at this time, Leeds are reportedly already looking at two players who could be signed for their potential top-flight season under Daniel Farke.
Latest Leeds transfer news
Football Insider reported on Monday that Tottenham Hotspur are set to provide Joe Rodon with the green light to complete a permanent move to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Premier League side are willing to part ways with the Wales international, who had failed to establish himself as a first-team star in London, on a permanent basis later this year.
He is said to be far down the pecking order under Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, who signed centre-back Radu Dragusin in January, and that is why they are open to cashing in on him.
It also states that Leeds are 'desperate' to keep the impressive central defender in Yorkshire beyond the end of this season, and this latest update means that they are now well-placed to do so.
Football Insider adds that Farke's team will need to shell out a fee of between £10m and £15m to secure the Welsh colossus' signature ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, however, it remains to be seen how much they are prepared to pay for the former Swansea star.
Meanwhile, GIVEMESPORT have also reported that Leeds are eyeing up a potential swoop to sign a defender if they are promoted to the Premier League.
The outlet claims that the Whites are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to snap up Borussia Monchengladbach left-back Luca Netz.
It states that he is on Farke and the recruitment team's radar ahead of the summer. However, the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea are also keeping tabs on the talented youngster.
Leeds could have an advantage over those Premier League giants as they could, possibly, offer him regular game time, which may not be on offer given the quality and competition on display at those top teams.
The report does not reveal how much it would take to convince the Bundesliga outfit to part ways with their star full-back at the end of the season, though.
Farke could now land a bigger talent than Rodon, who the club also want to sign in the summer, by winning the race to secure Netz's signature.
Joe Rodon's season in numbers
The Welsh titan was signed on loan from Spurs for the season last summer and has established himself as a regular starter at the heart of the defence for Leeds.
He had been paired with Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper earlier in the season but has now formed a formidable partnership with compatriot Ethan Ampadu, who is a midfielder by trade.
As you can see in the table below, the two Welsh enforcers have been a menace to opposition forwards as they have rarely allowed players to fire past Illan Meslier between the sticks.
Starts
11
Goals conceded
Three
Clean sheets
Eight
Wins
Ten
Draws
One
Losses
Zero
Leeds have only conceded three goals in the 11 Championship matches that they have started next to each other at centre-back, which illustrates how strong they have been at the back.
Rodon has played 34 matches in the second tier in total for the Whites this term, and helped the side to keep 15 clean sheets as they battle to secure promotion to the Premier League.
However, it is worth noting that the 26-year-old defender is yet to prove himself in a major European league. He was an unused substitute in 17 Ligue 1 matches for Rennes, and played 16 times, last season, whilst the centre-back only started eight games in two Premier League seasons with Spurs.
A bigger talent than Rodon
Leeds could land a bigger talent than Rodon by landing a deal to sign Netz, who has already established himself as a regular starter in a major European league by the age of 20.
The German full-back, who does not turn 21 until May, has started 20 of Borussia Monchengladbach's 25 Bundesliga matches throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
This shows that the Gladbach starlet has already achieved what Rodon has failed to do in six more years – prove himself in a top five European division.
Appearances
22
Starts
20
Big chances created
5
Assists
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.5
Aerial duel success rate
55%
As you can see in the table above, Netz has been a regular starter in the German top-flight and has provided quality at both ends of the pitch.
Despite his young age, he has consistently cut out opposition attacks and been strong in aerial duels, which shows that experienced operators have not dominated him in physical contests. In fact, the talented ace ranks within the top 12% of Bundesliga full-backs for aerial duels won (1.52) per 90.
He also ranks within the top 14% of his positional peers for assists (0.16) per 90 in the league this season, which highlights how impressive his attacking play has been from a creative perspective.
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The 6 foot wizard, who was described as a "weapon" at left-back by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has showcased his qualities in and out of possession on a regular basis in the Bundesliga, whereas Rodon has only proven himself in the Championship at this moment in time.
Whilst they could both turn out to be excellent signings if Leeds earn promotion to the Premier League, Netz appears to be the bigger talent on paper and could be a fantastic long-term addition for Farke's side given his age and quality.
