Here is your Leeds United morning digest for Friday, September 18.
Leeds target rejects Zenit offer
Leeds target Rodrigo De Paul has turned down an offer from Zenit St Petersburg because he intends to join the Whites, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The transfer expert made the claim on his Here We Go podcast after the Udinese attacking midfielder missed his side’s most recent pre-season friendly.
De Paul has been repeatedly linked with a move to Elland Road this summer, and that remains in the pipeline.
“We can add another detail because Rodrigo De Paul, to join Leeds, has turned down a really important bid by Zenit because he doesn’t want to play for them and just wants to play in the Premier League, if possible, with Leeds,” Romano said.
Mills urges Leeds fans to ‘be realistic’
Former defender Danny Mills has warned Leeds supporters not to get carried away after their opening Premier League game against Liverpool.
The Whites impressed at Anfield, edged out in a 4-3 defeat against last season’s runaway champions.
The performance of Marcelo Bielsa’s side led to some predictions of a top half finish, but Mills has stressed the importance of managing expectations.
“We need to be realistic with Leeds – they can’t finish in the top 10 this season,” he told GentingBet.
“If they can finish 15th or 16th and be safe with five or six games to go then I think most fans, and certainly the club, will take that immediately. I've seen Leeds a lot over the last two seasons.
“I've seen what they put out. I've seen the quality of the players they have, and they've added quality to that. Ben White is a big loss because he was an exceptional player but they’ve brought in Robin Koch, who I think will be a good addition, while Rodrigo will add some firepower.
“They put Liverpool under all sorts of pressure, they dominated possession and they scored some goals although they did make some errors that they need to cut out if they are going to go on and have a successful season.”
Shackleton reaches Leeds landmark against Hull
Jamie Shackleton joined an exclusive list of players by making his 50th appearance for Leeds in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat against Hull.
The Whites were beaten 9-8 on penalties at Elland Road after Ezgjan Alioski’s injury-time equaliser had forced a shootout.
It was a disappointing night for Bielsa’s much-changed side, though Shackleton’s landmark was one positive to come from the game.
The academy graduate, who turns 21 next month, has already brought up a half century of appearances in a Leeds shirt.
Shackleton is only the 37th player in the club’s history to manage it before his 21st birthday, too, matching the achievement of icons like Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and James Milner.
