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Drawn-out Leeds United exit will have significant impact on two key players in 23/24 – View
LEEDS, ENGLAND – MARCH 11: Robin Koch of Leeds United reacts during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Elland Road on March 11, 2023 in Leeds, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Leeds United centre-back Robin Koch has been linked to several clubs already in this summer window, and his exit is going to trigger a reshuffle in defence.
The club are sure to be expecting some key players to leave the club this summer, whether it’s reluctant agreements or not.
Robin Koch’s name has cropped up plenty already in the rumour mill, with his name linked to a host of Premier League and Bundesliga sides already, as he enters the final 12 months of his deal.
It means he’s almost certain to be one of the first departures this summer, and his exit does leave a gap in defence that will need plugging.
Here, we look at one winner and one loser at Leeds if they are to sell Koch in the coming weeks before the season…
Winner: Charlie Cresswell to step up?
The imminent exit of Leeds’ first-choice right-sided centre-back comes alongside an exit for the other senior name – with Diego Llorente set for a return to Roma.
It means that the only right-footed centre-back with senior minutes on the books is Charlie Cresswell.
Most thought that the 20-year-old would be a core part of the side no matter what happened in the Premier League last term, but relegation accelerates his promotion to a key player.
Cresswell will be looking at this pre-season as a key chance for him to showcase why there is a lot of faith being placed in him.
Will Leeds get promoted in 2023/24?
Loser: Will Ayling still cover at centre-back?
Losing two senior right-sided centre-backs in the same summer means Leeds have a job on their hands replacing them.
Cresswell fills one gap, and the club do need to find another just as competition and in order for there to be no risks with throwing the youngster in at the deep end.
However, if that isn’t the case right away, Leeds might have to call upon Luke Ayling to slot in once more in the centre.
He’s likely to do better in the EFL than he did in the Premier League when covering that slot, but he’s better on the right.
Perhaps Rasmus Kristensen’s encouraging late-season stint in the middle has prompted a re-think at the club.
