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Tottenham Hotspur have targeted Southampton midfielder Carlos 'Charly' Alcaraz and could offer defender Joe Rodon as a sweetener to get the deal done. Rodon spent last season on loan at Leeds United, with the Whites hoping to agree a deal with Spurs to bring the Wales international back to Elland Road.

However, Leeds are not alone in their pursuit of Rodon and face competition from the three Championship promoted sides in Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town. With Spurs also linked to Leeds' teenager star Archie Gray, there had been suggestions if the Whites felt they had to sell Gray they could do a deal that would bring Rodon in the other direction.

Spurs are understood to want £10m for Rodon, a fee not beyond Leeds' reach, but the player has Premier League ambitions and the suggestion is a swap deal with Southampton for Alcaraz plus a transfer fee would suit all parties better. The Sun report Alcaraz is on Spurs' radar this summer with the player having spent the second half of last season at Juventus following Saints' relegation from the Premier League in 2023.

Alcaraz is valued at around £30m, and is seen as a rising young talent with a big future. He made his debut for Juventus in January, coming off the bench to replace former Leeds midfielder Weston McKennie.

Having spent the past two seasons on loan, Rodon is seeking stability with his next move and it is understood he would have stayed at Leeds had the club won promotion. Speaking before the play-off final he said; "It would be nice to have stability and know where I am next season. I’ve always strived to get to the elite level and hopefully I can get back there with Leeds, but you never know.

“I don’t want to look too far into the future, although I do love it here and Leeds feels like a second home to me now. I’m just concentrating on giving my best and getting this club back to where it belongs.”

Volleys of abuse rained down on Weston McKennie as he trudged off Elland Road for the last time in May 2023. It was an image which summed up the toxicity around Leeds United as they fell out of the Premier League with a desperate whimper.

Of the last 27 points available to the Whites in their fight to remain in the top flight, they won two. McKennie was not single-handedly responsible for the dire run of form he was in the middle of, after arriving on loan in January, but he became the target of so much anger.

The American’s loan spell, Nottingham Forest win aside, was a disaster. He had been parachuted into a team on a desperate run of form, saw his first head coach dismissed after one appearance and cycled through three further bosses before he returned to Italy.

It was not an environment conducive to high performance, but this summer’s links with Aston Villa will have justifiably left some Leeds fans feeling quite bemused. If the 25-year-old were brought back to a United side in the Championship, there would be very few supporters in West Yorkshire jumping for joy.

The proposed move to Champions League-bound Villa is wrapped up in Douglas Luiz’s move in the other direction. However, while the Brazilian’s terms in Turin are sorted, McKennie’s are reportedly holding the entire deal up.

Leeds United have been handed a transfer boost in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon after a number of key developments this week. Tottenham Hotspur activated an extra year in Rodon's contract following his return to the club after a hugely successful season on loan with Leeds in the Championship.

Anticipating the interest in Rodon after an impressive season and eager to see some return on the £11m they paid Swansea City for the Welsh international, Tottenham activated the extra year with full intention of selling the player. It's understood Spurs are looking for a fee in the region of £10 for Rodon, with a number of clubs having been linked including new Premier League sides Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.

Given Rodon's desire to return to the Premier League, that increased transfer competition appeared to leave Leeds trailing some way behind in the chase for his signature, not to mention the sizeable fee required for a club that has to contend with a Profit and Sustainability Rules issue which leaves them treading a fine line at present.

However, the landscape has shifted in Leeds' favour this week. Ipswich Town are understood to have turned their attentions away from Rodon as they prioritise trying to do a deal for Hull City's rising star Jacob Greaves. A player tipped as a future England centre-back, Greaves appears destined for the Premier League with Ipswich hoping to provide him with that opportunity.

That would reduce the field for Rodon but more importantly for Leeds is their improving financial position with regards to PSR and money that can be spent this summer. Marc Roca is set to seal permanent transfer from Leeds to Real Betis in the coming days after successful year on loan in La Liga, while will represent a return for Leeds both in a transfer fee and releasing his expensive wages.

Leeds United’s hopes of keeping Joe Rodon at Elland Road have taken a serious hit with multiple Premier League sides reported to be interested.

The Welsh international impressed at Leeds last season, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, but Daniel Farke’s desire to keep the 26-year-old in Yorkshire may be in danger with the three sides who pipped the Whites to Premier League promotion all said to be looking to secure Rodon’s services.

Becoming a mainstay of the defence, the centre back played 50 times during his spell with Leeds - who would have undoubtedly been the favourites to secure Rodon’s signature had they secured promotion, however they now face stiff competition from Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton.

Read more… Leeds United rivals tipped to sell star Daniel Farke likes in Gareth Bale transfer repeat

Given their current financial situation after being succumbed to another season in the second division at the hands of the Saints, Leeds are not in as strong as a position as their Premier League counterparts to barter for a deal, though Rodon may prefer to return to familiar pastures having enjoyed his time under Farke Leeds would have to sell before they buy.

Ipswich are set to rekindle the interest shown in the Spurs man last summer before he opted for a move to LS11, while a move to Southampton would compile the misery inflicted on that fateful May day in Wembley and be the Saints second defensive reinforcement of the summer having already acquired the services of Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Leeds United transfer target Oliver Skipp knows full well how good Daniel Farke can be when it comes to developing young talent - having played a key role in his own career.

The Tottenham midfielder worked with Farke during a season-long loan spell at Norwich City in the 2020-21 campaign, becoming a key member of the Canaries side which won promotion to the Premier League that season, and earning himself a place in the EFL team of the season.

Farke has overseen the progress of Leeds youngsters such as Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter this season, but with the club missing out on promotion to the Premier League, faces another summer of rebuilding behind the scenes. Leeds have been linked with a move for Skipp, with the Spurs midfielder potentially available having slipped down the pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It would mean a reunion for the pair, and Skipp was quick to credit Farke's influence on his successful Norwich loan upon his return to Spurs in 2021.

“It was a crucial time for me in terms of getting regular games," Skipp said. "You go out on loan with the hope that you’ll be able to play a significant number of matches, but I didn’t go to Norwich with the feeling that I’d play 45 of the 46 games and that the season would go as well as it did.

“I’m so grateful to Daniel Farke and all the players, they all helped me settle in so easily, and then helped to create the player that you see today. It was a massive part of my development, that season, going away from home, dealing with Covid-19 restrictions, and that all meant my sole focus was playing week in, week out against all different kinds of opposition in the Championship.

“One week you’ll play a team like Wycombe, who will play longer, and are very good at it. The next week it will be Swansea or Brentford, possession based teams. That was good to help my development, coming up against those different styles.

“The loan also helped develop me outside of football and you can’t underestimate how important it is to get that right to make sure you are performing on the pitch. It helps you grow up and become independent, having to do all the things you take for granted when you are younger, the things other people do, the things you don’t have to do for yourself, so it was a really good experience in that way.

“I got on with all the players so well, they all helped me and made sure I had everything I needed. Then it was up to me to make sure I made the most of it, something I was desperate to do to get first-team football. You can train with the first team week in, week out, and that’s amazing, but I just felt I needed that football and Norwich gave me the opportunity.”

Leeds United transfer target Oliver Skipp knows full well how good Daniel Farke can be when it comes to developing young talent - having played a key role in his own career.

The Tottenham midfielder worked with Farke during a season-long loan spell at Norwich City in the 2020-21 campaign, becoming a key member of the Canaries side which won promotion to the Premier League that season, and earning himself a place in the EFL team of the season.

Farke has overseen the progress of Leeds youngsters such as Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter this season, but with the club missing out on promotion to the Premier League, faces another summer of rebuilding behind the scenes. Leeds have been linked with a move for Skipp, with the Spurs midfielder potentially available having slipped down the pecking order at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It would mean a reunion for the pair, and Skipp was quick to credit Farke's influence on his successful Norwich loan upon his return to Spurs in 2021.

“It was a crucial time for me in terms of getting regular games," Skipp said. "You go out on loan with the hope that you’ll be able to play a significant number of matches, but I didn’t go to Norwich with the feeling that I’d play 45 of the 46 games and that the season would go as well as it did.

“I’m so grateful to Daniel Farke and all the players, they all helped me settle in so easily, and then helped to create the player that you see today. It was a massive part of my development, that season, going away from home, dealing with Covid-19 restrictions, and that all meant my sole focus was playing week in, week out against all different kinds of opposition in the Championship.

“One week you’ll play a team like Wycombe, who will play longer, and are very good at it. The next week it will be Swansea or Brentford, possession based teams. That was good to help my development, coming up against those different styles.

“The loan also helped develop me outside of football and you can’t underestimate how important it is to get that right to make sure you are performing on the pitch. It helps you grow up and become independent, having to do all the things you take for granted when you are younger, the things other people do, the things you don’t have to do for yourself, so it was a really good experience in that way.

“I got on with all the players so well, they all helped me and made sure I had everything I needed. Then it was up to me to make sure I made the most of it, something I was desperate to do to get first-team football. You can train with the first team week in, week out, and that’s amazing, but I just felt I needed that football and Norwich gave me the opportunity.”

In Oliver Skipp, Leeds United could gain a player with a particularly valuable trait already displayed at Premier League level, according to current manager Ange Postecoglou.

The 23-year-old is said to be of interest at Elland Road this summer with the club monitoring his situation. As the transfer window is officially open, Spurs' own search for midfield reinforcements could force academy graduates like Skipp closer to the exit door.

Sister site football.london say if events unfold this way, the player is believed to be open to reconnecting with Daniel Farke, whom he spent a season on loan under at Norwich City four years ago. Leeds' boss will therefore know a lot about the target in question, though since then his development has cultivated another trait the Championship club will be heavily fond of.

Spurs' fourth-from-last game of the recent campaign saw them head to Liverpool without a recognised left back fit enough to feature. Skipp was brought on with 30 minutes to play at 4-0 down and in an unfamiliar berth aided his team finding two consolation goals.

"We have been working with Skippy the last few weeks," Postecoglou said afterwards. "When we lost Destiny [Udogie] and Ben [Davies], we're left with Emerson [Royal] who is not really a left back, we were looking around at options and in training we have been using him in that space.

"I thought he did well when he came on [at Anfield]. The way we play with full-backs, certainly with some of the positioning, he wouldn’t be too unfamiliar with the positions he would need to take up. He is an option for us and I think we need another option because we have three games this week and we only have Emerson as a back-up full-back at the club."

The England Under-21 international would later start on the left side of defence, with Spurs beating Burnley 2-1 in North London.

With the Championship campaign always a gruelling one, having versatile players comes as a sought-after bonus to managers like Farke. A tool like Skipp at his disposal next season will come in handy, especially if injuries were to get the best of Junior Firpo and Sam Byram.

The club are also eager to have Joe Rodon return from Spurs having impressed on loan last season, in what could turn out to be a double swoop of Postecoglou's ranks.

Leeds United will be hoping they can persuade Tottenham Hotspur to send Joe Rodon back to the club on loan next season, or failing that, they can strike a sensible deal for the central defender. Rodon last week saw his contract at Tottenham extended by another year, with the expectation being it will allow the Premier League club to pick up a transfer fee from any interested parties.

That deal will also provide an opportunity for another loan, with a sizeable loan fee paid as compensation to Spurs for a player who as things stand will depart the club next summer. Leeds have made it clear they would love Rodon back, but will have to wait to see what the intentions are from Spurs and the player.

Meanwhile, the Whites can utilise their good relationship with Tottenham to further explore other loan options. Spurs have a host of talented young players who the club will likely loan out next season, players like Ashley Phillips who was at Plymouth Argyle, Alfie Devine who played for Port Vale and Dave Scarlett who was at Portsmouth.

Two players who could be of interest to Leeds are England under-19 forward Jamie Donley and Scotland under-21 rising star Matthew Craig. Donley has made three appearances for Spurs and is seen as a real talent with a big future, but maybe is a player a year away from being a regular in the Premier League, while Craig is a defensive midfielder who impressed last season at Doncaster but is now seen as ready to make the step up into the Championship or higher.

A man who knows both well is Football.London reporter Rob Guest, who gives the lowdown on two of many talented Tottenham players who could be sent out on loan next season.

Matthew Craig

"Craig's loan move to Doncaster Rovers proved to be a huge success and it was perhaps one of Tottenham's best loan deals last campaign. The midfielder was a key cog in Grant McCann's side and he played an integral role in the South Yorkshire club going on an incredible winning run in the final few months of the season to come from nowhere to seal a play-off spot. Doncaster would no doubt like to take Craig back to the Eco-Power Stadium but a move to a higher division beckons."

Jamie Donley

"Named in Postecoglou's matchday squad on a number of occasions and going on to make three senior appearances for Tottenham, the versatile attacker should certainly be pushing for regular opportunities in the squad in 2024/25 going on his outstanding form.

"If he isn't to be involved on a regular basis, a loan move is a no-brainer for Tottenham as he has all the attributes to excel in the Football League and that will only work in their favour."

Leeds United are hoping to keep hold of Tottenham Hoptspur player Joe Rodon beyond this summer

The Welsh defender has been in excellent form for the Whites this season on loan from Spurs