COMMENT
Leeds’ next manager should look to Everton’s Luke Garbutt in order to replace outgoing left-back Charlie Taylor this summer.
Taylor, 23, is set to depart from Elland Road in a month as his current contract expires, despite Leeds’ attempts to extend Taylor’s stay.
Here, This Is Futbol analyses three reasons why the Yorkshire giants should replace one academy product with another Leeds youth player as Garbutt’s Everton future looks in doubt.
Something to prove at Elland Road
Moving to Everton as a 16-year-old from Leeds in 2009, Garbutt may feel he owes Leeds something after leaving the club to pursue his Premier League ambitions. Joining Leeds way back in 2001, the Yorkshire giants helped developed Garbutt from the tender age of eight years old and turned him into the player he is today. That could see the Harrogate-born ace opt to move back to Elland Road, and could even see the Toffees defender find his best form with the fire to impress the fanbase of his boyhood club.
Out of favour under Koeman
Ronald Koeman is likely to be active in the summer transfer window and will want to remove any out-of-favour players in order to make room for the new. After returning from a disappointing loan at Championship side Wigan that saw him make just eight appearances and fail to prevent the club from suffering relegation to the third tier of English football, Garbutt could be allowed to leave Goodison Park permanently. Leighton Baines is currently considered Koeman’s undisputed first-choice left-back, while Seamus Coleman, Tyias Browning and Mason Holgate are all vying for a place in Koeman’s back line.
Berardi and Denton
Gaetano Berardi has starred this season as one of Leeds’ best players, even though the majority of his appearances have come on the left side of defence – away from his normal position of right-back. Even though he has shone for Leeds, he has shown moments of weakness which is understandable considering he is right-footed. Without Taylor, Berardi is Leeds’ first-choice left-back with Tyler Denton still too inexperienced to be considered as the man to fill Taylor’s void. Bringing Garbutt back to Yorkshire, then, would help solve Leeds’ left-back woes as a natural left-sided defender with experience in England’s second tier.