No chance of reprieve as more details emerge of Pontus Jansson fall-out
Pontus Jansson is expected to complete a shock £5.5million move to Brentford next week after it was claimed there was no chance of a way back in at Leeds.
The powerful Sweden defender – a big part of Leeds’ promotion push last season that fell agonisingly short under Marcelo Bielsa – is set for a surprise exit from the Championship promotion hopefuls after what has been described as “a breakdown in relations at Elland Road”.
Both the destination for Jansson and the size of the fee has come as a huge shock to the Leeds fanbase, especially with United having rejected a £10m approach for the player has summer and amid claims the Swede was a target for a number of Premier League sides.
Jansson has been linked with a possible exit in the past, but he seemed to quell those rumours last month when he predicted an “incredibly exciting year” for Leeds this coming season.
However, former Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Phil Hay tweeted some more details of the issues that Leeds faced with Jansson and has explained why a reprieve was out of the question.
In a series of tweets explaining the fall-out, Hay wrote: “Just a few thoughts on Jansson – he’s come to be seen as a disruptive presence at Leeds and it’s reached the stage where the club and Bielsa felt it was in their best interests to cut ties with him.
“Brentford was hardly the obvious move (everyone assumed there would be PL interest) but the fact that both Leeds and Jansson have gone for it tells you a quick resolution suited them both and a reprieve was out of the question.
“If Bielsa wanted Jansson, this deal wouldn’t have happened. The club needed money in this window for FFP compliance but [Jack] Clarke’s move to Spurs eased that pressure significantly. This seems to be more about personality/attitude than cash.
“Jansson is a very good centre-back. I think we’d all agree on that. But Bielsa has always been more concerned with collective endeavour than individual talent (which isn’t to say he doesn’t value individual talent. Just that he values the whole machine more).”
Jansson’s move to south-west London is expected to go through some time next week, with the deal subject to a medical.
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