Leeds United are yet to address the immediate future with Mateo Joseph who has made it clear he wants more gametime.
Though the Whites' Championship campaign ended 48 days ago, the youngster's season is still ongoing. After a short break in the Dominican Republic, Joseph linked up with Spain for the European Under-21 Championships. He started both of their first two group games - wins over Slovakia and Romania, before watching from the bench as a 1-1 draw with Italy secured top spot in the group and a quarter-final clash with England. Tomorrow night Joseph will come up against his former Elland Road team-mates Archie Gray and Charlie Cresswell at Anton Malatinský Stadium in Slovakia, but while they played central roles for their clubs last season he endured frustration.
At Toulouse Cresswell played more than 2,800 minutes of senior football. Gray amassed 3,200 minutes for Spurs. Joseph, the only one of the three to remain at Leeds, was restricted to just shy of 1,300 minutes in the Championship. That gametime brought three goals and three assists but it was far from the breakout season he and so many expected when he turned up for pre-season with such swagger last summer.
Striker’s Leeds future unclear
Promotion to the Premier League, the arrival of one striker in Lukas Nmecha and the promised arrival of another in due course, has raised doubts over Joseph's chances of furthering his involvement under Daniel Farke. And with Real Betis returning to the table after January's failed attempt to prise him from Elland Road, the immediate future is uncertain even to Joseph himself.
“The lack of clarity about my future doesn’t affect me,” Joseph told AS as he prepares to face England. “I’m very focused on the tournament, and I’ll have to talk to Leeds, with whom I haven’t yet. Then whatever has to happen will happen, which is certainly the best thing for everyone. I’ll be ready for the opportunities they give me, wherever they may be.”
It will ruffle no feathers at Leeds that Joseph openly admits to frustrations over gametime. Players should want to play and settling for scant involvement at 21 would suggest a problematic lack of ambition and drive. But there is no mincing of words from the centre forward, for whom Leeds say they will only consider a sale if what they consider to be an interesting offer comes in. In other words, Joseph has a price just like everyone else.
He said: “We achieved our goal as a team, but I personally want to be more involved in the final stretch of the season. I think I need more participation to continue developing as a player. The season has just ended, and we have to stop and evaluate. We’ve been promoted to the Premier League. We’ll see what the club says, but I want to play more to continue growing. We’ll see what happens. For now, I’m focused on the European Championship, and my goal next year is to be more involved.”
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