Whites should hijack Rangers’ interest in Nottingham Forest prospect

Akin to both Southampton and Leicester City, Leeds United will be striving to conduct a revitalizing rebuild upon their return to the Championship.

Revolution, and, when executed effectively, evolution- Burnley can testify for this- proves to arrive with the territory of Premier League relegation owing to the vast climate change that occurs between the two divisions, chiefly engineered by a prominently-opposing financial environment and the ensuing, ever-so-typical exodus of playing squads.

Make no mistake about it, demotion always wounds sides where it hurts most, and with Leeds, a significant club who had initially illuminated an upwards and seemingly-sustainable project under the masterful yet divisive tuition of Marcelo Bielsa, will be feeling the blow especially.

However, it can just serve to open a new door, a door of promise and potential, with clubs engrained with the right strategic planning presented with the opportunity to hit the reset button and implement the required building blocks to not only seek the trapdoor and get out of the Championship, but to also embark on a regenerated, more-maintained journey back into the promised land and beyond.

Leeds have the chance to do so.

Departures are expected, as ever, though the transfer pull that accompanies their name and stature can be leveraged to function the other way, too, and recruit players capable of directing a new, fresh era.

Over the course of the window, there will be more footballers who harness the weaponry and ceiling to fit the bill, but Leeds must look to conduct some of their business as early as possible, regardless of their present managerial situation, if they are to secure the best talent available and immediately stamp their authority upon the division.

With that in mind, hijacking Rangers’ transfer tussle for Nottingham Forest’s Jonathan Panzo would surface as a strong start to proceedings.

What is Jonathan Panzo’s situation at Nottingham Forest amid Rangers’ interest?

As per the Daily Record, Scottish giants Rangers have entered “advanced talks” to bring Panzo north of the border for a fee believed to stand at £2.5m.

The interest appears to be directed by former-QPR manager Michael Beale, who coached Panzo many years ago in Chelsea’s youth system and reportedly watched him on several occasions last season during a loan spell at Coventry City.

These connections have boosted Rangers ahead of West Brom and Coventry in the race for the defender’s signature, but it seems as though they have not yet reached the finish line, meaning that his future is still far from resolved.

That said, his future at the City Ground does look pretty certain.

Having been signed from Dijon in January 2022 following a spell in France, where he also spent time with Monaco after leaving Chelsea at the age of 17, Panzo made just one appearance in the second-half of the season as Forest surged towards promotion before returning to the Championship on loan with Coventry last term.

But, despite impressing as a cornerstone of Mark Robin’s solidfied backline, Forest look set to move the 22-year-old on this summer and the fact that they are embroiled in transfer talks with other clubs enforces just that.

Why should Leeds United sign Nottingham Forest’s Jonathan Panzo?

Crucially, and in spite of his age, Panzo already possesses invaluable expirence as a key component of a promotion-pursuing side as he made 29 league appearances for Coventry, who reached last season’s play-off final at Wembley.

That will have no doubt leased him with an important grounding and the knowledge of what it takes to compete towards the top-end of the table, which aligns with Leeds’ own aspirations ahead of the upcoming campaign.

Interestingly, Panzo is also a rare breed of footballer, with young left-footed centre-backs coming as a real premium, and, subsequently, a real asset for any side fortunate enough to behold one.

As such, this skill would help Leeds to realize their overarching on-pitch philosophy of controlling possession and building play and transitions from the back, with left-footedness providing an extra option to do just that.

Granted, it is not a rarity to find young defenders that are pretty in possession while lacking the vigour and physical steel to engage in the main function of their game, but Panzo differs from this and offers tenacity, defensive solidity and an exquisite reading of the game well beyond his formative years.

At his age, it is unrealistic to expect him to be the finished article, and given that he plays a position where players tend to peak later on in their careers, he still naturally has trials and tribulations and sizable learning curves ahead- though for the most part, the former-England youth International is a serious talent with a burgeoning ceiling of potential waiting to be fully tapped into.

Up at Elland Road, meanwhile, Leeds are tipped to be rather light in that area of the pitch, with defensive duo Diego Llorente and Robin Koch both destined to depart amid interest elsewhere.

So, it makes perfect sense to launch a move for Panzo.

Doing so would simultaneously boost Leeds’ promotion call of duty and provide a blow to those harbored by Coventry and West Brom, who both look poised to compete for the top-six next year.

And, with his age, arsenal, potential and profile, Panzo is only going to get better, and represents a strong option not only for the here and now, but indeed for years down the line.

Overall, the lure of Rangers cannot be underestimated with their own eminence as a club and, of course, the Beale bond, however, the prospect of starring and being spurred on by the raucous Elland Road crowd for a side with lofty ambitions and a significant presence within the history of English football is undoubtedly tantalizing and hard to resist.