Leeds United will not be signing Connor Roberts permanently.
The right-back was signed from Burnley in the January transfer window but he hasn’t featured enough as many had expected. Burnley have now confirmed that the defender will return to Turf Moor when his contract with Leeds expires.
However, the Wales defender is still expected to be named in Daniel Farke’s matchday squad for Sunday’s massive play-off final game against Southampton at Wembley.
According to a report from the Yorkshire Evening Post, if Leeds secure promotion to the Premier League, it could “facilitate further negotiations” over the player’s future.
At the moment, it is unclear which division the Whites will play in next season. And with that comes the budgetary constraints. If they remain in the Championship, they will have to operate on a relatively tight budget. Taking all these factors into consideration, Leeds have decided not to sign him permanently.
Smart move for Leeds United
After the first few games since Roberts was signed, it became clear that it would be a short-term deal only. Due to injuries, he has found himself in and out of Farke’s side and dropped down the pecking order behind Archie Gray and Sam Byram in the second half of the season.
Roberts was one of the key players for the Clarets in the Championship and could play a key role again for them next season.
As it stands, Leeds do not appear to intend to negotiate a deal for Roberts in the summer, even if they move to the Premier League. The Whites are reportedly checking on other options, with Sky Germany reporting that Borussia Dortmund defender Marius Wolf is emerging as one of the club’s main targets.
Even if Leeds stay in the Championship, they must do well in the transfer market to find a better right-back than Roberts.
