Kemar Roofe has been heavily linked with the Leeds United exit, and Marcelo Bielsa appears to have confirmed his departure.
Marcelo Bielsa appears to have confirmed to Sky Sports ahead of Leeds’ season-opener against Bristol City (broadcast on 4/8 from 16:00) that Kemar Roofe is on his way out of Elland Road.
Roofe has been heavily linked with a move away from Leeds this month. The Daily Mail reported earlier in the week that Anderlecht wanted the 26-year-old in a £7 million deal, and the Sunday People (4/8; page 48) suggested that the striker expected to complete his move to Belgium by the end of the weekend.
Leeds fans have largely been resigned to the fact that the Whites will have to replace their top goalscorer in the final days of the transfer window anyway. But it appears that Bielsa has now confirmed that the forward is leaving as he spoke about his plans to maintain an 18-man squad.
“At the same time, we have a few difficulties because finally, Roofe and [Bailey] Peacock-Farrell leave so they are in the 18 players that we chose before,” he told Sky Sports.
Of course, with Bielsa’s words being translated, there is still a chance that the move is not as far along as it initially sounds. But it would now be a big surprise if Roofe was a Leeds player for much longer.
What can perhaps leave some Whites fans with some hope is that Bielsa has hinted that his squad is two players short of being where he wants it with Peacock-Farrell leaving and Roofe looking set to follow him out the door.
There is still time for players to be replaced. And with Leeds lacking depth up front, perhaps the Whites will respond to Roofe’s seemingly-imminent departure with a late move for a brand new striker.
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