Leeds United: Luke Ayling likely to stay until end of season as clubs queue for January transfer
Leeds United stalwart Luke Ayling is likely to stay at Elland Road for the remainder of the season, following speculation of a transfer away in January, according to Dean Jones.
The 31-year-old full-back has fallen down the pecking order under Jesse Marsch this season but is not expected to move clubs in January, as was previously reported by TEAMtalk’s Graeme Bailey.
The club are not willing to sell the fan favourite due to a lack of squad depth in defence, with the report stating that a new deal will come down to whether Ayling wishes to stay at the club and can impress Marsch in training.
The defender’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, so a decision is due to be made in the coming months.
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: “I get the feeling that Ayling will end up staying around and will stay until the end of the season and figure things out then.”
Leadership
After playing every league match in Leeds’ 2020/21 season and becoming a vital cog in Marcelo Bielsa’s defence, Ayling’s minutes have slowly slid away in recent times as he has started to struggle with the intensity of the Premier League.
Despite being labelled as a “really important figure” by March earlier this season, the 31-year-old has featured for just 153 minutes all campaign across seven minutes.
This is largely down to the emergence of £10 million summer signing Rasmus Kristensen who has made the position his own since his move from Red Bull Salzburg.
However, with Kristensen away on international duty at the moment, Ayling has a chance to impress his manager without the competition that has thwarted his season so far.
Even though the Leeds legend may not be having an impact on the pitch, Leeds should definitely keep hold of him till summer. Ayling is the type of player who drives standards in training and is a vital leadership figure to have in the dressing room when the going gets tough.
In other news, Pundit tips Leeds to seal major new striker transfer in January to keep them in PL.