Jose Mourinho has been tipped as a possible rival for Leeds United in their bid to sign the £11m ‘fast’ player

One area that looks like it could already need some additions is central defence. Pascal Struijk should be fit for next term, but the club are yet to confirm whether Liam Cooper will stay at Elland Road.

However, the main loss at that position is Joe Rodon. The defender looks set to return to Tottenham when his loan ends at the end of the month, having played 50 times in all competitions for The Whites.

Phil Hay has made it clear Leeds will do everything they can to try and re-sign Rodon. But Spurs have activated a 12-month clause in his contract, meaning his deal will expire in the summer of 2026.

Fenerbahce’s Mourinho presented himself as a rival at Leeds for Joe Rodon

Mourinho took charge of Fenerbahce in Turkey after being sacked by Roma earlier this year, with Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen among his signings in Italy, with defender Rodon one of the former.

Mourinho was Tottenham’s manager when Spurs signed the ‘fast-track’ Rodon from Swansea for an £11million fee. Now Alasdair Gold has tipped Rodon as a possible signing for Mourinho in Turkey this summer.

“I wonder, Jose liked Joe Rodon quite a bit, I wonder if Jose would want Joe Rodon at Fenerbahce where he would do really well,” Gold said on his YouTube channel, according to a report by at this weekend’s TeamTalk.

Leeds’ problems with signing Rodon this summer

White has three options. Either, pay Tottenham’s asking price, which is now considerably higher given Rodon’s contract has been extended by a further 12 months, with his original deal ending in 2025.

Leeds have another option which sees them save their money and land Rodon. But the chances of Spurs loaning the on-loan Rodon look unlikely. The 49ers may have to wait to see if the Spurs get desperate.

It could be that including a bond for next summer gets a deal done. The third option is to pursue other targets, but Leeds must do everything for Rodon before making that decision.

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