Leeds United manager Thomas Christiansen has confirmed that goalkeeper Andy Lonergan will seal his exit in the final day of the January transfer window.
Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has reported that Championship strugglers Sunderland were primed to land the 34-year-old.
It has been widely reported that the veteran shot-stopper is set to seal his Elland Road departure this window.
Christiansen has now confirmed that Lonergan will leave Leeds after he asked to leave the Yorkshire giants to pursue regular first-team football.
The manager was speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw away to Hull in the Championship and he also hinted that he will call on one of his young goalkeepers from the academy to step up as the second-choice option behind Felix Wiedwald.
“The thing is that Andy asked us about this situation,” Christiansen said, as quoted by Leeds Live.
“It’s a big opportunity for him to extend his career. It’s a good contract and I also believe that our young goalkeepers can step up.”
OPINION
Lonergan’s six-month spell at Leeds is set to come to an end and he has played his role this season with nine appearances across all competitions. However, his exit should not come at a massive cost as Wiedwald has now managed to cement his spot in goal and was impressive in the draw against Hull on Tuesday night. Leeds have Bailey-Peacock Farrell and Kamil Miazek as two promising young goalkeepers at Elland Road and one of them could now become a regular feature of the matchday squad. The Whites are now out of domestic competitions and the hope will be that Wiedwald can stay fit for the rest of the season, but the club could be in serious trouble if they don’t sign a senior replacement for Lonergan on deadline day.