Next week looks set to be a busy one for Leeds United loans manager Andrew Taylor, with three key fringe players looking for a temporary move away and regular minutes. Charlie Cresswell looks set to join Millwall for the season, while a host of Championship clubs have registered their interest in Jamie Shackleton and Tyler Roberts.
The moves signal a clear change in how the club view the loan market post-Marcelo Bielsa, with young prospects allowed the freedom to move and pick up regular minutes rather than remain in West Yorkshire as cover for a thin senior squad. But despite the increased leniency towards allowing a move away, one of last season’s loanees could fare better by staying.
The club’s insistence that they don’t need to prioritise a new left-back has concerned some, with Junior Firpo the only obvious option following Stuart Dallas’ long spell out. But Leif Davis might see that insistence as a vote of confidence in his development. The full-back spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, but struggled to make the desired impact - partly due to injuries.
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He returned to West Yorkshire before the end of last season but was ineligible to feature during the run-in. Nevertheless, those few weeks at Thorp Arch gave Davis a taste of Jesse Marsch’s style and he obviously impressed enough in that spell to convince the Whites' boss that left-back is not a priority this summer.
Granted, that same reasoning may have been justified by the presence of Pascal Struijk and Leo Hjelde - both had short spells at left-back during the relegation run-in - but Davis will see this summer as a chance to make the step up and provide cover for first-choice Firpo. The 22-year-old joined up with the first-team for the first week of pre-season testing and training this week and will likely travel with the squad on their tour of Australia.
These five weeks provide Davis with a fresh opportunity to prove a reliable deputy to Firpo, and with Dallas likely sidelined for the rest of the year, a strong pre-season could provide the springboard for the left-back to feature in the top-flight next season. There is still a long way to go before the transfer window shuts, and discussions will be had between Davis and Marsch about the youngster’s desired role in the squad.
Despite his struggles for fitness at Bournemouth, the left-back impressed in moments and no doubt will court the attention of other second-tier clubs as a regular starter. At 22, that guarantee of minutes may be enough to encourage another loan deal. But if Davis can make his impression in pre-season and keep himself injury-free, then he will feel he can prove the club really don’t need a new left-back.
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