Here are your Leeds evening headlines for Tuesday, April 28.
FA plans for points-based transfer system
Transfers to English sides will change once Britain’s departure from the European Union is finalised, with the FA planning to introduce a points-based system for Premier League sides.
According to AP News, the FA also plans to introduce quotas in the Premier League, restricting teams to just 13 non-homegrown players in their squads.
In effect, all non-British players will be treated in a similar way to how non-Europeans are currently treated, with the new points system taking into account factors such as the players’ international appearances, the FIFA ranking of their nation, the transfer fee being paid and the wages offered.
Leeds urged to sign Ruddy
Former Leeds United Noel Whelan has called on his old club to sign Wolves shot-stopper John Ruddy if they are promoted back to the Premier League.
The ex-Leeds striker, who spent two years at Elland Road, believes that goalkeeper will be high on Marcelo Bielsa’s shopping list next summer and believes Ruddy’s experience would prove invaluable.
“It is very important that you have somebody between the sticks that has experience and a big personality – he has certainly got that. He has been around a long time,” Whelan told Football Insider.
“The fact that he is British helps, especially when you are communicating with defenders and organising set pieces.
“He knows what it is all about. It is imperative that you get players like that in key areas. We talk about strikers but goalkeepers.
“It is very difficult these days to find a very good goalkeeper. There is a mistake in every single one but it is about limiting that and how many they make across a season.”
Government confirm talks to resume football season “as soon as possible”
Leeds United’s hopes of playing in the Premier League next season have been boosted by confirmation that the government are working to resume the 2019/20 campaign “as soon as possible”.
The Whites currently sit atop the Championship table with just nine games remaining and are on course to return to the top division for the first time in a decade and a half.
There had been fears that the current campaign would have to be abandoned, dashing Leeds’ hopes of promotion.
But Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons: “I personally have been in talks with the Premier League with a view to getting football up and running as soon as possible in order to support the whole football community.”
