Leeds United manager Daniel Farke points towards the pitch during a game
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke points towards the pitch during a game
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Leeds United legend Jon Newsome admits he is sticking to his view that Brenden Aaronson just is not a Premier League level player.
Newsome has been a fierce critic of the United States international during his time at Elland Road, despite various Whites managers rating him.
Aaronson continues to have fan in the shape of current Leeds boss Daniel Farke, who admitted last term criticism of the American was well known inside the dressing room.
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Farke started with Aaronson on the bench away at Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, turning to the winger when Leeds trailed 2-1 with 20 minutes left in north London.
Aaronson did not make much impact at the Emirates and Leeds were eventually forced to settle for a 2-1 defeat.
Newsome stood by his view of the winger after the match, conceding he just does not believe that Aaronson is a Premier League level performer.
The former defender does feel Aaronson has got better during his time at Leeds, but does not rate him highly.
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Bournemouth (A) Premier League
Newsome said on BBC Radio Leeds (10th October, 14:45): “Personally I get a lot of stick off people when they see me, ‘you don’t like Brenden Aaronson’.
“It’s not that I don’t like him. I just don’t think he’s good enough to play at this level. Simple as that.
“He’s probably better now than he has been for the last two or three years, but I still don’t think he’s a Premier League footballer.
“Not in a million years.”
Newsome admits though that Farke does rate Aaronson and believes that realistically there was little the winger was going to do late on at the Emirates.
“You stick him on and what do you expect him to do? He’s hasn’t got the ability to get hold of the ball and change a game. He’s not going to beat people, he’s not going to link up, he’s not going to play little one-twos and stick it in the top corner.
“What he is really good at his chasing and harassing, and trying to press people and win the ball back.
“Daniel Farke likes him or seems to like him and we have a difference of opinion.”
Another Leeds legend, in the shape of Stuart Dallas, said earlier this year that the work Aaronson does on the pitch is underrated.
Simon Grayson meanwhile also praised Aaronson, dubbing him a ‘proper manager’s player’.
Set to turn 26 years old later this month, Aaronson joined Leeds from Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2022, for a fee close to £25m.