A permanent exit for Cody Drameh next month has been virtually ruled out by Jesse Marsch in the clearest indication yet there is a future at Leeds United for the right-back. Marsch even hinted the Whites should be paving the way for the 21-year-old now, not just in the future.
Drameh memorably sought first-team football at Cardiff City at the start of this year despite Marcelo Bielsa’s indications there might be chances in an injury-ravaged Leeds side. After choosing to stay and fight for his place this summer, Drameh failed to oust Rasmus Kristensen or Luke Ayling and another January switch looked likely.
However, after being consistently impressed with the former Fulham youth over the past month, Marsch has intimated Drameh won’t be going anywhere for good. It’s a part of a wider conversation going on with the club’s younger faces about whether loans would suit them next month.
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“Those discussions are ongoing, especially with young players, [about] how to challenge them to grow and equip them with things so ultimately they'll provide the club with more at some point,” he said.
“How to shape their development path to get them to be the best they can be as quickly as they possibly can. Whether that's a loan or staying here and then looking at the overall resources of what we have as a team and as a club.
“You bring up Cody. Cody has been fantastic over the last month and I'm so happy we have gotten to a point with him where he feels so energised by what we're doing and engaged.
“Then the decision will be how to continue to push him in the direction for him to be an important player at this club, which he will be. Maybe we need to even think about how it fits now.
“He's done really well and I'm really happy for him and then you try to go through every player. What's the situation of the team? What's his personal situation? How do we provide him with what he needs to push him along as quickly as possible?”
Drameh’s contract expires in June 2024. If Leeds are to make him a long-term key asset at Elland Road, they will need to convince him to sign a new deal before taking the risk he leaves for little or nothing from next summer.
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