The fact that Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles have been allowed to reach the end of the Premier League season without the offer of a new Leeds United deal might be telling. Neither man featured heavily throughout the course of the campaign and if Leeds had stayed up, many would have expected them to leave on free transfers.
However, relegation, coupled with the roles they played throughout May under former boss Sam Allardyce, might just have Leeds thinking twice. The club will be forced to publish their retained list in the next couple of weeks and that means time is of the essence if they are to offer either man the chance to stay on and help the club rebuild in the Championship.
Of course, there are more pressing matters at Elland Road at present, with a takeover saga to be settled, a new head coach to be found and a new director of football, too. But, some decisions cannot wait, with the futures of both players potentially in the balance.
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Forshaw and Robles are the only senior players reaching the end of their current contracts at Elland Road this summer. Here’s a look at what Leeds will be mulling over before making the call either way.
Adam Forshaw
Retaining Forshaw would be easy for the Whites, given the 31-year-old’s current deal includes an option to extend it by 12 months. Given his importance to the club over the final few weeks of the campaign, that might be a possibility being considered by those currently holding down the fort at Elland Road.
Forshaw made 12 Premier League appearances in what was a frustrating and testing season for him due to injuries. However, seven of those came in the final six weeks of the campaign, returning to fitness in time to be the club’s strongest midfield option under Allardyce and underline his worth.
If he can stay fit, the former Middlesbrough and Brentford man could have plenty to offer in the second tier next season both on the pitch and off it, providing a degree of stability and a familiar face in turbulent times. His fitness record provides the biggest question, though, given his time in West Yorkshire has been severely blighted by injuries.
His game time would have to be managed through the rigours of a 46-game season, of course, but he knows the competition well and his leadership could be key, whether he is involved or not.
Joel Robles
Robles initially joined Leeds as a third-choice goalkeeper last summer after being brought in by Victor Orta to provide competition for Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson. Within a few months he had edged out Klaesson for a spot on the Whites bench and he ended the season as the club’s number one following the poor form of Meslier.
The Spaniard wasn’t able to help Leeds to the win they desperately craved under Allardyce, but it’s probably fair to say he did his reputation no harm between the sticks. Despite his form, there’s likely to be summer interest in Meslier and that might prompt Leeds to enter the market for a new first choice.
The experienced Robles might just be able to take some of the heat off such a decision, though. His presence is only likely to help Klaesson and Dani van den Heuvel in the goalkeeping ranks and if Meslier were to stay that added competition could be key.
Robles will be 33 when the Championship season gets underway and that might stand against him, but if the numbers make sense on a renegotiated deal, there is an argument for Leeds to keep him around at Thorp Arch.
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