Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds and the clubs in Spurs defender transfer mix

Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton are among the Premier League clubs that have shown an interest in signing Tottenham defender Joe Rodon this summer, football.london understands.

The 26-year-old Wales international is a man in demand after an eye-catching season at Leeds United on loan in a campaign that brought 90 points in the Championship for Daniel Farke’s side but a play-off final defeat at the hands of Southampton at Wembley last month.

Rodon is not in Ange Postecoglou’s plans at Spurs but was one of the standout centre-backs in the Championship though, playing 50 times for Leeds and helping them keep a long run of clean sheets at the turn of the year as they roared up the table, only to fall away towards the very end.

Now football.london understands that all three of the sides that pipped Leeds to promotion to the Premier League are among those keen on ensuring the Welsh centre-back gets his chance to return to the English top flight.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has previously shown a strong interest in Rodon last summer and that is set to be rekindled this time around. Championship champions Leicester were keen on the defender as a potential defensive recruit before the departure of boss Enzo Maresca to Chelsea.

With the Foxes’ recruitment team liking Rodon, that interest could be maintained should Graham Potter, his former Swansea boss, get the job as one of the favourites to take over from Maresca. Another of Rodon’s former managers, Steve Cooper, was also linked with the job.

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The third promoted side and Leeds’ conquerors in the play-off final, Southampton, are also believed to have signalled their interest in the player they came up against twice last month.

The trio are believed to be among a string of further Premier League clubs considering a summer move for the defender and that is why Tottenham chose to take up the final year option last month in the contract that he signed when he joined the club in 2020 to ensure he is tied to the north London outfit until 2025.

Leeds remain in the mix and would love to bring Rodon back to Yorkshire for another season in the Championship. The player enjoyed his time with the club and had they earned promotion then Farke’s side would likely have been the favourites to agree a deal with Spurs. However, with the plentiful Premier League interest in Rodon and the financial impact of missing out on promotion, Leeds are not in the strong position they would have been to seal a deal.

Rodon will join a defensive exodus from Tottenham that already contains the departed Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon and is set to include Djed Spence, Sergio Reguilon and potentially Emerson Royal, who is attracting interest from AC Milan, in the weeks ahead.

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