The Championship is as nail-biting as ever as we approach the final two weeks of the season. There is still so much to play for at either end of the table, with two relegation places left to fight against and the two automatic promotion spots to fight for.
One of those teams in the thick of the battle for Premier League football is Leeds United. Following relegation last term, Daniel Farke’s men currently sit third in the Championship a point behind second-placed Leicester City.
The pressure will be on The Whites to secure an immediate return to the top flight as they have a talented, expensive and much sought-after squad.
Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville has just been named the Championship Player of the Season for his return of 17 goals and eight assists, performances that have drawn interest from the likes of AC Milan.
Durham-born midfielder Archie Gray is another of the youngsters at Elland Road who has caught the eye, playing in over 40 Championship matches this season. Gray, a name synonymous with Leeds United, has reportedly attracted interest from some of the Premier League’s big hitters, including Manchester City and Liverpool.
Lee Sharpe was once a young prodigy making his way at one of the biggest clubs in the land and spoke exclusively to The Real EFL about the importance of gaining promotion to keep hold of these rising talents. The former Leeds winger was asked if Leeds could lose some of their stars should they not achieve promotion.
“That’s the difficult part of it, isn’t it? They’ve built a team to get themselves up and potentially stay up when they are. A lot of these players will be in the mind of being Premier League players for next season. So what do they do?”
Sharpe, who made his top-flight debut at the age of 17, questioned whether the club may be forced into letting go of their top talents.
“What sort of money are they on? Can the club afford to keep them? Do they have to get rid of them? I’m sure they’ve got plans for all this but you would certainly think that a couple of the star players would certainly leave to Premier League clubs if they don’t get up this season.”
Sharpe was talking The Real EFL thanks to BetVictor.
Writer’s View
If Leeds are still competing in the Championship next season then it is hard to imagine them fending off interest from some of Europe’s top clubs for their talented crop of players.
With AC Milan, among others, reportedly ready to make a move for Summerville it is hard to see him staying without Premier League football. Archie Gray is more likely to be plying his trade at Elland Road next season, partly due to his young age and also the ties his family have with the club.
