MOT Leeds News

Leeds welcome Tottenham to Elland Road on Saturday, hoping to make it three games without a loss.

Last time the two met at Elland Road in 2023, Spurs put up an impressive performance with a 4-1 win.

Leeds have not managed a win over Spurs since May 2021 under Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds vs Tottenham will take place on Saturday at Elland Road

As well as their battles on the pitch, Leeds and Tottenham have shared more than their fair share of players over the years, with numerous top-level stars having turned out for both clubs.

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Here are five Leeds United favourites who have played for Tottenham as well.

Paul Robinson

Robinson came through the Leeds academy, making his debut for the club in 1998, where he kept a clean sheet against Chelsea.

At the time, Robinson was in and out of the team as the number two Goalkeeper, making five league appearances in his first season.

Robinson finally established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in 2002/03, where he played all 38 League matches.

The next season, Robinson joined a very exclusive list of goalkeepers who have scored for their club, scoring a header against Swindon Town in the final moments of the League Cup.

Robinson made the switch to Tottenham in May 2004 for a fee of around £1.5 million.

He went on to play 175 times for Spurs before joining Blackburn in 2008 and then Burnley in 2015.

Jonathon Woodgate

Woodgate began his career at Middlesbrough before moving to Leeds at the age of 16.

Making his debut in 1998, Woodgate was regarded as one of the most complete all-round players to come through the Leeds academy.

Woodgate was unlucky with injuries throughout his time at Elland Road, not playing as much as he would’ve liked.

Leeds hit financial troubles in 2003, and as a result, sold Woodgate to Newcastle for £9 million. This resulted in the departure of manager Terry Venables, who disagreed with the sale.

Robbie Keane

Keane joined Leeds on loan from Inter Milan in 2001, netting nine goals in 14 games.

An impressive run of goalscoring form saw the Irishmen sign a permanent deal at Leeds, at an original cost of £12 million.

Keane was unable to maintain his form for Leeds, scoring just six times the following season.

Leeds were forced to sell Keane in 2002, on deadline day, to Tottenham Hotspur for £7 million.

Aaron Lennon

Lennon made history on his Leeds debut away at White Hart Lane, becoming the youngest player to feature in the Premier League at 16 years and 129 days.

Lennon netted once in his Leeds career against Sunderland in a 3-2.

He became a starter for Leeds during their Championship campaign, before moving to Tottenham in 2005 for £1 million.

Lennon would go on to play over 300 games for Spurs before leaving in 2015.

Archie Gray

Gray was a fan favourite for Leeds during his first full season at the club.

Coming through the academy, playing 52 times in the 2023/24 season, picking up the young Championship player of the year.

Gray left for Spurs in 2024 for around £40 million, where he has featured 51 times so far, winning the Europa League in his first season.

How much Timo Werner could earn at Leeds after shock transfer update

Daniel Farke is keen to add another forward to his Leeds squad before Monday’s transfer deadline.

An unexpected option has emerged, with Leeds United interested in a move for Timo Werner, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham.

The German is set to leave RB Leipzig in the closing days of the window, with the Premier League side among his next possible destinations.

Nottingham Forest look set to beat Leeds to the signing of Dilane Bakwa, who had appeared to be among the Whites’ top options for the wide role.

Leeds signed Noah Okafor from AC Milan last week, but are looking for another option on the wing, with Manor Solomon yet to be replaced.

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Timo Werner would be forced to take pay cut for Leeds move

Werner was considered among Europe’s best forwards in the years before his move to Chelsea.

The striker had consistently returned huge numbers for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, eventually earning him a £45m move to the Premier League.

But the shift in style affected Werner, with the pacey forward no longer afforded the space to regularly run beyond the last line of defence.

At the end of the 2021/22 season, the German returned to the Bundesliga and to RB Leipzig, but could not rediscover his previous form.

After 18 months on loan at Spurs, Leipzig are again open to his departure this summer, with Leeds and Burnley among the interested suitors.

BILD reported that Werner is earning around £8.6million in Germany, which translates to around £165,000 per week.

To put that into perspective, Leeds’ top earner, according to Capology, is Jack Harrison, who earns around £90,000 per week.

Given Werner’s likely place in Farke’s squad if he is to join, he would certainly be expected to take a pay cut, and could even be forced to halve his wages to around £80,000 per week for the deal to be financially feasible for Leeds.

Where would Timo Werner play for Leeds?

In the limited minutes Werner did spend on the pitch for Tottenham last season, he featured exclusively on the left wing.

In Farke’s squad, the German would likely play a similar role, providing pace and energy off the bench in place of Okafor.

Timo Werner:

Werner’s potential arrival could allow Largie Ramazani to leave the club, with the 24-year-old appearing not to be in the plans for Leeds this season.

Leeds United and Tottenham have a long history in transfer windows.

Manor Solomon enjoyed his stint at Elland Road after signing on loan from the North London outfit last summer.

While Daniel Farke wants the Spurs attacker back for the Premier League campaign, a potential deal doesn’t seem to be on the cards at the moment.

But instead of the West Yorkshire outfit bolstering their squad with Tottenham’s players, Thomas Frank’s team have taken someone from LS11.

Oliver Boast transfer announced by Tottenham from Leeds United

Spurs have signed former Leeds Under-18 striker Oliver Boast for their youth team.

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The North London outfit’s academy announced on X (22 July) that the England youth international has linked up with their Under-18s as a first-year scholar.

Boast joined the Whites as an eight-year-old and, after progressing through the ranks, became a regular for the Under-18s last season.

The 16-year-old also recently made his debut for the West Yorkshire outfit’s Under-21s, but his potential future at Elland Road has been cut short with his switch to Tottenham.

Farke should ask for more attacking transfers at Leeds

Farke has made Patrick Bamford surplus to requirements at Leeds, and his departure undoubtedly means they will look for a new centre-forward.

The West Yorkshire outfit didn’t rely on the English striker much last season, and it isn’t surprising to see the German manager be blunt about his future in LS11.

Real Betis have been chasing Mateo Joseph this summer, and the Whites could potentially lose two of their number nines in the coming weeks.

Leeds are working on signing Igor Paixao from Feyenoord, but more additions will arguably be needed to be ready for the rigours of the Premier League.

Joel Piroe can’t be expected to shoulder the burden of scoring goals next season, and more depth is needed up front in case of fitness issues.

Farke should demand more investment from 49ers Enterprises this summer, and it remains to be seen what sort of business the Peacocks do before the end of August.