Leeds United have been told that they have a £50 million player on their hands, as Joe Rodon continues his impressive run of form in the Premier League.
Joe Rodon has been a colossus at the heart of the Leeds defence since he joined the club on an initial loan deal under head coach Daniel Farke.
Having found his opportunities in the Premier League limited with Tottenham Hotspur, Rodon dropped down to the second tier and has been ever-present with Leeds ever since.
Rodon scored his second goal of the season against West Ham, prompting calls for Craig Bellamy to investigate Sean Longstaff’s eligibility for Wales, with the midfielder providing the assist for both goals.
Now, Leeds have been told that Rodon could be worth £50 million, having finally added a goal-scoring threat to his game.
Joe Rodon in action for Leeds during a Premier League clash against Everton
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Leeds United told that Joe Rodon is worth £50 million
Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast, journalist Graham Smyth praised Rodon for adding a new goal-scoring prowess to his game.
According to Smyth, Rodon is now a “magnet” for the ball from corners, and his attacking threat could be essential to Leeds in their battle for Premier League survival.
Smyth said: “Boy, am I glad that Leeds have made this discovery and it’s turned Joe Rodon into the greatest defensive attacking force that I think Elland Road’s probably ever seen.
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“He’s a magnet for the ball in the opposition penalty area. I tweeted at the time, he’s not a 50p head anymore, he’s a £50 million head.
“The more goals he can score for Leeds, the higher their chances are of survival, because it’s a great source of goals.
“You want goals from anywhere, everywhere, and Longstaff has this knack of finding them.”
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Joe Rodon in action for Leeds during a Premier League clash against Everton
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
How well do Brighton defend set pieces?
With Rodon in the most prolific goal-scoring form of his career, Leeds will be hoping that Sean Longstaff can continue to find him in the box from corners in their crucial clash with Brighton.
However, according to Opta stats from the opening nine games of the Premier League season, Leeds will face a difficult challenge at the Amex.
While both Leeds and Brighton have scored four goals each from set pieces, the Seagulls have conceded just one, the joint-fewest in the top flight.
Brighton defending set-pieces Total PL Rank
Goals Against 1 =1st
Shots Faced 30 =5th
Expected Goals against 2.38 5th
Brighton have also conceded the fifth-fewest shots from set pieces, with just 30 shots faced, and have the fifth-lowest expected goals against from set pieces, conceding a total of just 2.38.
There is room for optimism for Leeds, as they currently rank third in the division for the percentage of goals scored from set pieces, at 44.44%, behind only Arsenal and Chelsea. If they can get their delivery right, they can finally claim their first Premier League win against Brighton.