Phil Hay has been speaking about the future of Ian Poveda on the latest episode of The Phil Hay Show.
Poveda was signed from Manchester City’s Under-23s in 2020 but has failed to break into the first team on a regular basis as he’s only started one league game for the club and that has seen him being shipped out on loan to Blackburn Rovers for the season.
Do you think Ian Poveda has a future at Leeds?
Yes
No
The winger is capable of playing on either wing (according to Transfermarkt), and with Raphinha and Jack Harrison at the club, as well as Helder Costa as a backup, it would have been unlikely that Marcelo Bielsa would’ve handed him enough minutes to ensure his progress continues. Although, this loan spell could signal the end of his career at Elland Road, as Hay explained on his podcast.
Hay discussed what the future looks like for Poveda.
“It’s certainly been the case that the [Under] 23s who go out on loan, or the younger players who go out on loan, are sent on loan because Bielsa has no expectation that they’re going to even knock on the door of the first team.
“He doesn’t particularly want them in the emerging talent group because that is reserved for the players who he thinks are closest.
“It seems apparent that Poveda isn’t close now, he’s clearly gone backwards. I would just say as well, there’s been a lot of talk about a fallout with Bielsa and several people at the club have said to me that it’s not like that – that isn’t the kind of basis for this.
“He just is a long way from the first team, [Crysencio] Summerville seems to have come past him and be ahead of him in the pecking order.”
TIF Thoughts on Poveda and his Leeds future…
If Poveda can get his head down and prove to Leeds and Bielsa that he has what it takes to cut it at both Elland Road and in the Premier League he could be handed another chance next season. The winger only has to look at Harvey Elliott to see what a loan spell at Blackburn can do for your career as the Liverpool midfielder managed to start for the club in the Premier League last week.
Following the announcement of Leo Hjelde joining from Celtic, who will link up with the club’s Under-23s, it appears that Leeds are likely to be done in this summer’s transfer window with Bielsa happy with their business until January at least.