Leeds United look set to take a big hit heading into the upcoming fixtures as supporters wait to find out exactly how long Joe Rodon will be out injured.
After the Wales international was forced off with an ankle injury in the first half against Sunderland, manager Daniel Farke confirmed the centre-back will be out for around three weeks with a ligament injury.
As outlined in the post above, Rodon will miss a league game after making 104 consecutive starts, which is some achievement from the former Tottenham Hotspur defender.
This means Leeds will have to defend against Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirths, while also having to adapt defensively without the Welsh giants in their backline for the first time in a while.
Leeds eyeing Premier League defender signing
The Whites are looking to sign another central defender and are already eyeing a replacement for Rodon in the short term.
According to Football Insider, Leeds United are planning to sign Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi in the January transfer window.
According to the paper, the West Yorkshire outfit are eyeing a deal for the France international central defender to strengthen Farke’s backline options following Rodon’s ankle injury.
He added that the Whites would like to sign the former Monaco player on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 season, allowing him to compete with the likes of Pascal Strujk, Xhaka Bihor and Rodon.
Football Insider also revealed that Chelsea want to let the £80,000-a-week defender go in January, but all slots are already taken and they are unable to send him on international loan to give Leeds a boost in the race for him.
Why Disasi is the perfect replacement for Rodon
Leeds should sign Disasi. That’s because he has the potential to be the perfect replacement for the Welshman in the next three weeks and if he is out for a longer period of time.
Even if the Wales international were to return to action, the French defender would still be a great replacement, either as a rotation option or as a competitor for Bihor and Strujk.
Disasi’s time at Stamford Bridge has not gone well this season, with him playing no minutes in all games, but his debut season in the Premier League with Chelsea and his loan spell at Aston Villa last season suggest he could be a good option for Leeds.
Failing and winning trophies in a team competing for a top-four spot like Disasi doesn’t mean he’s not good enough to be a key player in a team like Leeds that want to avoid relegation.
Rodon is a perfect example. According to Transfermarkt, he played just 24 games for Tottenham before joining Leeds, and has started every Premier League game for the Whites so far this season, but that streak is likely to end this week.
Axel DiSasi (Premier League) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 31 | 13 |
the goal | 2 | 1 |
Pass accuracy | 91% | 90% |
Ground duel success rate | 62% | 52% |
Aerial duel success rate | 69% | 62% |
A mistake led to a goal | 0 | 1 |
clean sheet | 5 | 2 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, DiSasi has only made one mistake that resulted in a goal in his 44 Premier League games so far, and is incredibly dominant in the air.
Meanwhile, Rodon has made one mistake that led to a goal, according to Sofascore, and has won 69% of his ground battles and 54% of his aerial battles in his 18 Premier League games this season.
This suggests that Disasi, who was described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a “complete” and “commanding” defender, could even provide Leeds with additional quality as an aerial presence, with both players making few critical mistakes but with a high winning rate in the air.
The graph above, which compares Rodon’s form this season with Disasi’s first season at Chelsea, suggests that they both excel in similar areas, meaning the Frenchman could be the perfect replacement for the Welsh star.
The 27-year-old star has Premier League experience and a proven track record as an immediate force, making him a great short-term loan option for Leeds as he played for Villa last season, and would provide Leeds with the immediate ability to replace Rodon as a dominant defender in the air in the coming weeks.
Leeds were ready to sell their star, but now he’s as irreplaceable as Calvert-Lewin
Leeds United must now be grateful they did not sell their £45,000-a-week star player after his outstanding performance against Sunderland.
