
Leeds United
Championship
Joe Rothwell ‘unsure’ on permanent Leeds transfer with three hurdles in place for Bournemouth loanee

Joe Rothwell has impressed while on loan at Leeds United from Bournemouth
Joe Rothwell has admitted he is uncertain whether his loan spell at Elland Road will be turned into a permanent deal this summer with three factors likely to prove key to Leeds’ chances – while sources have revealed the truths over the late window interest in Southampton’s Cameron Archer.
The Whites are riding high at the top of the Championship and can extend their lead at the top to five points if they can claim victory over Frank Lampard’s resurgent Coventry City on Wednesday night. With many of their rivals not in action until the weekend, Daniel Farke’s side – now unbeaten in 12 games and loving life after Saturday’s 7-0 spanking of Cardiff City – can take another step towards promotion by claiming all three points at the Ricoh Arena.
Having missed out on promotion last season in the most agonising of circumstances, Leeds certainly look determined to go one better this time around and their strength in depth across the squad has certainly stood them in good stead this season. Indeed, when injuries in successive games in October robbed Leeds of last season’s favoured midfield partnership of Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu, summer loan signing Rothwell was handed his chance – and he has not looked back since, having become a regular in Farke’s engine room.
Indeed, his forward bursts and eye for a pass have given Leeds a different dynamic in midfield and one so often missed last season, while his partnership with another summer signing – the hugely adored Ao Tanaka – has been at the heart of their march to the Championship summit.
Now calls to make Rothwell’s move to Elland Road permanent over the summer are growing louder, though three factors must be overcome if they are to achieve his signing.
Firstly, Leeds would need to secure promotion given the player currently earns £30,000 a week with the Cherries – a wage the Whites would not stump up in the second tier. Secondly, they would also need to match the Cherries’ asking price, though with just a year left on his deal, an offer of around £7.5m could be enough to convince them to sell.
And thirdly – and probably key to their entire chances – Rothwell would need to convince his family to ditch their Dorset base and move north to Yorkshire, with the player having made the painstaking decision to move away from his wife and young children when signing for the Whites on a season’s loan.
“This one [loan] has been tough because I’ve moved up without my family, my kids being in school. It wasn’t just a case of moving them with me because I don’t know what’s going to happen next season,” Rothwell said on the BBC’s Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.
“I made the decision with my wife to leave them, it’s been tough. I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like to but we knew it was a sacrifice we had to make. Hopefully next season we’re back together again.
“It’s gone as well as it could have done, it took some time but when I got that chance I knew I could show what I’m about. It’s gone better than I could have expected. Who knows what will happen next season.”
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Leeds transfer truths on Cameron Archer
Rothwell was one of eight summer signings at Elland Road last summer and the strength of the Leeds United bench in recent matches has been the envy of the rest of the Championship.
And while others all around them moved to strengthen their squads in the winter window, Leeds decided not to add to their options, partially in the belief that their squad is already strong enough to achieve their promotion objective and also with their potential targets not wanting to drop down to Championship level.
One man they did pursue, though, late in the window was Cameron Archer, with the Whites making a move to bring the former Sheffield United man back up north over the weekend.
And claims that a deadline day move to Elland Road were on the cards grew amid speculation that a private jet had been scheduled to land at Leeds/Bradford airport from Bournemouth.
However, the plane was not one comissioned by Leeds and sources have informed us that the Whites always felt a move to bring Archer to Elland Road was a tough ask – with the Premier League side not changing their stance having initially informing Leeds he would not be allowed to leave when they first made contact last week.
Those chances officially bit the dust early on deadline day when the south-coast club instead green-lit the loan exit of Adam Armstrong, whose move to West Brom was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.
Leeds had been linked with the former Blackburn man themselves, but were only ever keen on Archer; a move which officially failed once a decision to let Armstrong leave had been granted.
Leeds Utd transfer round-up: Harrison talk dismissed; Firpo future hint
Meanwhile, Leeds United had no plans to recall Jack Harrison early from his loan spell at Everton after talk of his early return were debunked.
The on-loan winger was also linked with a move to Fulham on deadline day, and while the Cottagers did end up pursuing a winger by re-signing free agent Willian, it was decided that the 28-year-old would see out the season at Goodison Park, where we have been told his work-rate is something valued by boss David Moyes.
Elsewhere, United have still made no attempt to tie Junior Firpo down to a new contract, and while the left-back would be willing to re-sign if a deal were tabled, his camp are laying the groundwork for a return to one of his former clubs, TEAMtalk can reveal.