Swansea City swooped for Alfie Mawson in the summer despite reported interest from Leeds United.
Alfie Mawson’s has impressed in his debut season for Swansea City despite the South Welsh club holding the worst defensive record in the top flight. Yet, few Leeds United supporters would swap him for the oft-impenetrable partnership of Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson.
The Daily Star claimed that Mawson was one of Leeds’ primary transfer targets in the summer. However, after he moved from Barnsley to Swansea instead in a £5 million deal, the superb performances of Bartley and Jansson meant missing out on the 23-year-old was no big deal.
The future of Leeds’ defensive duo, however, is seemingly uncertain, and the lack of depth in the Leeds back-line could quickly become a concern.
According to The Sun, full-blooded Swede Jansson is Southampton’s first choice to replace the in-demand Virgil Van Dijk in the summer. Leeds agreed a deal to sign the 26-year-old permanently from Torino in the summer for £3.5 million but, The Saints could reportedly treble that sum.
And The Sun also reports that Burnley have identified Bartley, on loan at Leeds from Swansea, as the ideal replacement for Michael Keane when the newly-capped England international inevitably leaves for big money this summer.
Former Arsenal youngster Bartley told the Yorkshire Evening Post in February that he would be keen to remain at Elland Road but, with no option-to-buy agreement in his loan deal, the decision is by no means certain.
Should Leeds achieve promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, hopefully at least Jansson will stay (and maybe the club will be able to put in a realisticid to land Bartley on a permanent deal). Leeds are heading for an interesting few weeks – and a period that could help define the club for a significant time thereafter.
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