Chris Sutton is never too far from a controversial comment or opinion. But his latest jibe may be of great interest to Leeds United.
Leeds United are in a bit of a mess with seven games left remaining in this 2024/25 Championship season; it could be even more than seven games with Leeds now looking as though they might have to settle for a play-off position.
Following their 2-2 draw against Swansea City over the weekend, the top three has shuffled with Leeds falling into 2nd and now two points behind Sheffield United, and level with Burnley.
| 1 | Sheffield Utd | 39 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 56 | 29 | 27 | 83 |
| 2 | Leeds | 39 | 23 | 12 | 4 | 78 | 27 | 51 | 81 |
| 3 | Burnley | 39 | 22 | 15 | 2 | 53 | 11 | 42 | 81 |
Scott Parker wasn’t interested in Leeds United’s result against Swansea as his side extend their 26 game unbeaten run, looking as though they might just leapfrog Leeds in the final weeks of the season.
All three teams will be making big summer plans with promotion in their sights. For Daniel Farke, there’s several attackers on Leeds United’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window with the frontline looking like it could go through some changes.
Chris Sutton’s damning verdict on Josh Sargent amid Leeds United links
One such striker linked with Leeds is Josh Sargent. The USMNT and Norwich City striker has been praised by Mauricio Pochettino in recent weeks after making his return to the USMNT side, albeit an unsuccessful return, having shone in the Championship with the Canaries this season scoring 13 and assisting five more in 25 league appearances.
Leeds United want to sign Sargent in the summer but it won’t be cheap. Reports have suggested that Norwich City want £17million for Sargent, who was actually signed by Farke at Carrow Road back in 2021.
Speaking about his future at Norwich, former Canaries hitman and now pundit Chris Sutton has given a rather stark assessment, insisting that the 25-year-old can’t waste anymore time at the club. Sutton wrote for Pink Un: “There will certainly be clubs in the Premier League and on the continent who will have a really keen interest in him.
“In terms of purely the Premier League, I think he’d have to go to a mid-table club, do well there to make that stepping stone, and then see whether he can eventually cut it at the very highest level. That should be his ambition.”
Sutton later added: “I love Norwich, but he can’t waste his time playing another season here when the truth is that neither we nor Johannes Hoff Thorup know what we’re going to get from week to week. There is no guarantee that next season will be a better one.”
Leeds United backed to agree Josh Sargent deal this summer
Whilst there’s Premier League interest in Sargent and rumoured overseas interest too, it seems to be Leeds United who’ve been mentioned alongside the striker the most, with the Farke factor definitely something to bear in mind.
And Carlton Palmer has backed Sargent to join Leeds United in the summer too, suggesting that promotion could be all Leeds need to sign Sargent, who might not cut it at a mid-table Premier League straight away as Sutton suggests.
Palmer said: “If Norwich don’t get promotion – and it’s highly unlikely, they’d have to get a race on now to get into the playoffs – it would seem that Leeds can agree a fee with Norwich. I think he’ll be one of those players that Daniel Farke would like to bring to the football club.
“But the opportunity to play in the Premier League would be too good an opportunity for him to turn down.”
Though like with so many other rumoured targets, Leeds could miss out on Sargent because of the simple fact that promotion now hangs in the balance. And even if they are promoted now, many might back Leeds to come crashing straight back down after this patchy spell of form.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
