Leeds Must Unleash “Astonishing” £15K-P/W Prodigy

Leeds United are preparing for their return to the Championship following relegation from the Premier League this season and the club’s hierarchy have a lot of work to do this summer.

The Whites are currently without a sporting director and a manager at present following a mutual parting with Sam Allardyce this week and will need to get the wheels in motion to appoint two of the most vital roles at the club in order to take the next steps in their recruitment and retainment strategies.

Due to a drop into the Championship, it is highly likely that Leeds will be unable to retain a number of their player’s services going into next season with many already speculated to make a move away from the club this summer.

One player who has been mooted to make a swift exit from Elland Road is Rodrigo, following his recently earned call-up to the Spain national team, with Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth claiming the forward could be on his way out of the club.

In an article written for the publication, Smyth believes that with one year left on his contract, it would seem likely that Leeds would be willing to sell the player rather than allow him to go for free next year in order to recoup some money on his £27m transfer fee and wage.

As a result, it could now be the perfect opportunity for Leeds to not only cash in on Rodrigo but replace him for free in the second tier by unleashing Joe Gelhardt in the attacking threat next season.

Can Joe Gelhardt replace Rodrigo?

There is no doubt that Rodrigo has been a reliable goalscorer for Leeds delivering many moments of magic in the first half of the season when he covered for an injured Patrick Bamford in the centre-forward role.

However, having picked up injuries himself over the course of the campaign, the Spaniard has struggled to stay fit to offer consistency in the team when it mattered most at the business end.

Not only that, at 32 years old he is coming to the latter stages of his career and with relegation confirmed, it could now be the perfect time to move on and start rebuilding a team for the future with a clean slate, paving the way for Gelhardt to finally get a consistent role in the starting team.

Over 18 Championship appearances whilst on loan with Sunderland, the 21-year-old – hailed “astonishing” by Adrian Durham (via MOT Leeds) – scored three goals, registered three assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 shots on goal and 67 minutes played per game, proving that he is showing glimpses of the potential he has in front of goal.

Not only that, the £15k-per-week prodigy already has the experience and connections in the squad to quickly make an impact in the forward line with two goals and seven assists already tallied up for Leeds, which could prove to be a much better alternative to bringing in a new striker who will need time to fit in.

With that being said, whoever becomes the next manager at Elland Road could develop and mould a great attacking player in Gelhardt if given the opportunity, allowing him to grow into a key player who could be crucial to their attacking threat next season.