Leeds United have narrowly missed out on a play-off place.
Andy Hinchcliffe
Pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has told Sky Sports’ EFL Weekly podcast that the futures of Garry Monk and Chris Wood are the two big questions facing Leeds United this summer.
The Whites had looked nailed-on for a play-off place having sat in the top six of the Championship table, but they have surprisingly fallen apart in recent weeks.
Successive defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burton Albion, along with wins for teams around them, left Leeds outside of the play-off places, and Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Norwich City effectively ruled them out of the race.
Barring a frankly remarkable set of results on the final day of the Championship season, Leeds will miss out on a play-off place, and the attention will turn to the summer transfer window ahead of next season.
One of the big issues for Leeds to resolve is the situation surrounding manager Garry Monk’s contract, after the former Swansea boss worked wonders to make the Whites into a play-off contender this season.
The 38-year-old is only on a one-year rolling contract though, meaning he could leave Elland Road this summer unless the club strike a new deal with their impressive young manager.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
Monk isn’t the only key Leeds man whose future is up in the air, given that star striker Chris Wood – who has hit 29 goals in all competitions this season – has been linked with moves to Everton, West Ham and other Premier League sides (Calcio Mercato).
Leeds can’t afford to lose either if they harbour ambitions of a promotion push next season, and pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has told Sky Sports’ EFL Weekly podcast that he thinks Leeds will be desperate to see Monk stay, and believes Monk and Wood’s futures are the biggest question marks surrounding the club heading into the summer.
Chris Wood of Leeds United celebrates scoring
“I think the Leeds fans will be absolutely desperate for Garry to stay,” said Hinchcliffe. “Of course, it isn’t just about one season, although it’s a real shame, because even with a relatively small squad, Garry has done one of the jobs of the season, even though they’re going to miss out on the play-offs.”
“The ownership situation there maybe needs resolving; is Cellino going to sell up? It might be different owners at the club who clearly would want Garry to stay after the job he’s done this season. It’s vitally important this summer that, if he does stay, I’m sure he’ll be asking for money to invest in the squad. You look at the team who are going to finish above Leeds, and they all have the extra money and the extra depth in their squad, so I think Garry has done an incredible job with a relatively limited squad. So whether he stays, and is Chris Wood going to stay as well after having a fantastic goalscoring season, are two big questions. I’m sure Leeds fans will be desperate for him to sign a new contract and stay on,” he added.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
