OPINION
The Pontus Jansson transfer mystery deepens.
The defender is is renowned for his straight-talking and willingness to deliver searing insight and honesty to the media, either in England or his native Sweden.
Jansson’s latest revelation to a Swedish television journalist strongly suggests Leeds accepted a bid from Russian side Krasnodar this summer.
United managing director Angus Kinnear revealed in his programme notes for United’s clash against Middlesbrough last Friday that the board “dismissed or repelled a number of moves for our prized assets” who he claimed are regarded as “core to this campaign”.
Leeds United MD Angus Kinnear confirms that bids were rejected for the club’s key players. Reports recently suggested a big offer for Jansson was turned down. #lufc pic.twitter.com/EY6I0gKpG9
— Adam Pope (@apopey) August 31, 2018
Jansson’s take on his personal situation is slightly different, as he explained to Swedish journalist Andreas Sundberg of Sweden’s TV 4 that he rejected a lucrative offer from Krasnodar after thinking long and hard about it.
“I asked him about Krasnodar and he said, ‘It was an interesting offer and it was a lot of money but after he thought a lot about it, he wanted to stay at Leeds’,” Sundberg told BBC Radio Leeds on Tuesday.
If Leeds had rejected the bid, which Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent Phil Hay suggested last month was “close to £10million”, then why would Jansson have to contemplate the contract offer from Krasnodar? That wouldn’t make sense.
Reports in Sweden of Russian interest in Pontus Jansson. It's true that Leeds did receive a bid from Krasnodar (somewhere close to £10m). Bid was turned down. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 23, 2018
The giant defender, 27, would surely only have to consider any offer if the club were willing to let him go.
It appears that was the case, and Jansson deliberated long and hard, before electing to remain at Elland Road for another season.
Leeds supporters will be concerned that the club were willing to cash in on such an important player, especially as Ronaldo Vieira was also offloaded for £7million to Sampdoria this summer.
Sure, Jansson has started only one of United’s six Championship matches under Marcelo Bielsa after his late return to pre-season following his World Cup exertions.
But he is one of the outstanding players in the team and will have a big role to play this season, especially as he is one of only three senior centre-backs at the club.
There is a theory that Bielsa wants to re-model Jansson to fit in with the front-foot playing style he has introduced this season in which the onus is on defenders to thrive in one-on-ones if the team are caught out on the counter-attack.
But Leeds’ apparent willingness to let one of their best players go smacks of a lack of ambition.