The sporting director suggests that Leeds United have recently let go of a player with Champions League qualities

Leeds were relegated from the Premier League just over a year ago and the number of players they lost in a result was in double figures.

After missing out on an immediate return to the top tier, 49ers Enterprises acknowledged that some key members of the team will have to leave again this summer.

At this stage, it appears that Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Ilia Gruev are attracting the most interest, all from Champions League level clubs.

Summerville has been linked with Liverpool, while Gray and Gruev are wanted by Germany’s two biggest clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Whether the aforementioned trio all leave this summer remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, they will need to be replaced if they do.

While chairman Paraag Marathe has confirmed that funds will be available to be spent, the loan market is certainly an area Leeds will look to.

Over the course of two windows last season, Leeds brought in four players on loan from the Premier League. It would be fair to say that only Joe Rodon was a success.

Djed Spence was arguably the biggest disappointment as he was sent back to Tottenham early just as he had managed to recover with reported problems with his lateness.

Spurs quickly sent Spence out on loan again, but this time to a completely new environment in Italy as he joined Serie A side Genoa.

The 23-year-old has impressed during his time there, so much so that Genoa are looking to sign him permanently, with the club’s sporting director Marco Ottolini saying he has the ability to play in the Champions League.

In an interview with Secolo XIX, he said: “Spence and Vitinha? We are talking to the clubs and the players, the idea is to keep them here. Spence has Champions qualities and untapped potential. Vitinha needs a season to recover and Genoa is the right place to do that.”

What Spence said about why the Leeds loan didn’t work out

It was a real shame Spence’s loan spell at Leeds didn’t work out, his time at Nottingham Forest proved just how good he could be at this level.

After working hard to get fit, Spence found his way into the side at left-back over the festive period, but by the end of the first week of January, he was sent back to Spurs.

When asked about his time at Leeds earlier this year, he disputed claims of his timing issues, also pointing to a lack of game time in his preferred position.

He said: “I don’t think it’s fair at all. I don’t necessarily agree with what they said. But in football, that’s how it is: you have to keep your head down, keep going and eventually prove people wrong.

“Some of them are a bit blown out of proportion. You can be late once and if you don’t play it’s a problem and if you play then it’s not a problem.

“I was there, things were going well, then I got injured. I had a pretty bad knee injury and then came back but it still hurts.

“I came back and played a bit, but I played on the wrong side (at left-back). It was not easy. It didn’t bring out the best in me, everyone wants to play in the best position.”

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