With the signing of Leeds youngster Archie Gray done and dusted, it’s also time to say farewell to a Tottenham Hotspur player who was never quite able to make it happen at the club. Joe Rodon, on loan at Leeds United last season, has made his switch to West Yorkshire permanent:
We wrote yesterday about a potential swap deal involving Rodon and Spurs’ new signing Archie Gray, and it looks like that has eventuated – though more in principle than financially. Leeds reportedly paid £10 million for Rodon, with Gray’s fee around the £40 million mark – and it’s hard to say the agreements weren’t exactly dependent on one another. The increased immediate profit from the Gray sale (as opposed to a swap with Rodon’s fee knocked off the top) allows Leeds to escape PSR sanctions while amortizing the £10 million for Rodon over the length of his contract – something sure to keep the accountants happy.
It never quite worked out for Rodon at Spurs. Signing for Tottenham back in 2020 from Swansea with a big reputation as a promising, destructive center back, there was hope that he could develop into a future stalwart for The Lilywhites. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be, as a succession of managerial appointments, stylistic inconsistencies, and doubts around Rodon’s ability on the ball led to him struggling for minutes and often the odd man out in Spurs matchday squads. He eventually accepted a loan move to Rennes in France, before heading to Leeds for the 23/24 season.
By all accounts, he was fantastic at Elland Road, with many Leeds fans and pundits declaring him one of their top performers in their push for promotion to the Premier League. This admiration apparently was mutual as well, with Rodon reportedly loving his time at the club, leading him to accept a move to the Championship when many expected him to land at a Premier League club after interest from Leicester and Ipswich Town.
There’s a little bit of a feeling of “what could have been” around Joe Rodon – but that’s now a moot point. I wish him the best – I’m sure he’ll continue to excel at Leeds.