OPINION
After failing in their bid for promotion to the Premier League so agonisingly last season – the time has come for Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa to get tough.
The transfer window has to be used effectively, and the reports claiming the Whites will look to utilise top-flight loans in a bid for success show the club are being smart in their second attempt at the Championship.
Samuel Saiz is expected to leave the club in the summer after a disappointing loan spell at Getafe. Reputable football outlet Football Insider confirmed on Tuesday that Leeds have rejected a loan offer for the playmaker as they would prefer to sell him permanently in the summer.
With the Spaniard’s departure nearing, 20-year-old Tyler Roberts must use this as motivation to kick on and become one of Leeds’ permanent playmakers in the squad next season, meaning Victor Orta will not need to replace Saiz.
After a great breakthrough season under Marcelo Bielsa, the Welsh international will look to cement his place in the Argentine’s starting line-up more consistently next season.
The only improvement need in Roberts’ game is his ability to produce goals and assists at a consistent level. In his 31 appearances for Leeds, he only managed to score three goals and provide six assists.
Arriving as a striker, Roberts quickly developed into an attacking midfielder, playing in a similar role to Saiz. His pace and flair made him a menace to deal with towards the end of the season, and should he start to add goals to his game, the Spaniard Saiz will be quickly forgotten.
The starlet has exactly what Leeds needs consistently and is sitting under Bielsa’s nose. Roberts must show during pre-season that he is the man to take the Whites forward and play a part in another potential promotion charge.