Brenden Aaronson surely wouldn’t have started for Leeds United against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday had Noah Okafor been fit.
The 25-year-old American was benched in the 3-1 win against Burnley at Elland Road after some underwhelming performances in recent weeks.
Eddie Riemer revealed that Okafor picked up a calf injury ahead of the Whites’ trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 11 May and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss out.
As a result, Aaronson will surely hope to get back to the starting lineup and give a lifeline to show Daniel Farke why he should continue to rely on him.
Leeds can secure Premier League safety if West Ham United lose to Arsenal on 10 May at London Stadium, but the West Yorkshire outfit will nonetheless be looking to make a statement in North London.
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Brenden Aaronson plays for Leeds United future vs Tottenham
There’s no doubt Aaronson has been a key player for Farke this season, but the American needs to do better to ensure that he continues to play a pivotal role in the future.
The Whites will surely be looking to strengthen their squad in the upcoming transfer window and the 25-year-old attacking-midfielder needs to put himself in a position at Elland Road where he’s untouchable.
Aaronson’s numbers in the Premier League have stagnated, failing to score in any of the last 14 matches.
The German manager may trust the USMNT international for now, but as he’s shown with Joel Piroe this season, anyone at the West Yorkshire outfit can be considered surplus to requirements.
Brenden Aaronson must be wary at Elland Road
Facundo Buonanotte’s future seems away from Leeds after struggling for game time since moving on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in January.
The Whites are looking for a new number 10 ahead of the upcoming transfer window, leaving Aaronson to contend with more competition for a place in the starting lineup.
While the American star has enjoyed regular minutes in the Premier League, his prospects could potentially diminish with further attacking additions in the Whites’ squad.
Farke will surely want to make multiple additions up front in the summer, which will surely leave question marks over Aaronson’s future.