The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Friday 24th May)

Good Morning. It's Friday 24th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Southampton strike duo mystery after missing training

Southampton striking duo Che Adams and Ross Stewart were absent from the club's in-house training video ahead of Sunday's trip to Wembley, as speculation grows regarding their fitness levels.

Stewart, an £8m signing from Sunderland last Summer (having failed in their bid to sign Joel Piroe) has been hampered by a hamstring injury which has kept the Scottish International sidelined since November.

Strike partner Che Adams picked up a knock at Elland Road on the last game of the season, which kept him out of both legs of the play off semi-final. Saints are desperate to see him return. With 16 goals, and four assists from just 2301 minutes of league game time this season, the 27yo posses the biggest goal threat heading into Sundays showdown, ahead of Adam Armstrong (a goal every 170 mins), Summerville (184 mins), Bamford (185 mins), Piroe (187 mins) and Dan James (193 mins).

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Gray spurned top Premier League outfit last Summer

Archie Gray spurned the opportunity to join an unnamed top Premier League outfit last Summer, opting instead to pledge his future to the club he knows and loves.

Nobody was more keen than Leeds for Archie to finally turn 17, so they could tie him down to his first professional deal - but it came with a caveat! Gray insisted (through his agent) that the Whites match ‘a certain percentage’ of the lowest offer that came from elsewhere - and the club were more than happy to oblige!

Due to his age, he was only permitted to sign a two year deal, which was extended to run until 2028 in January of this year, two months before he turned 18. Breaking into the first team so young, even had safeguarding issues, the club had to adhere by.

He was not allowed to change in the same dressing room as the other first-team players, and even had to get ready in Burton Albion's laundry room last Summer during a pre-season friendly!

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Leeds set sights on Gent centre-back

Leeds are being strongly linked with Gent centre-back Jordan Torunarigha, as a replacement for Liam Cooper is is set to leave Elland Road after ten years with the club.

Torunarigha, 26, came through the junior ranks of Hertha Berlin, before joining Belgium outfit Gent (initially on loan) in 2022. He has only managed 360 minutes of game time all season. A mixture of injuries and poor form has seem him slip down the pecking order, and down to 17th in
Hein Vanhaezebrouck's 'Whoscored' ratings.

He has just one year left on his three year contract, and is likely to only set them back £2.5m, but face competition from Stuttgart and Hoffenheim. The Whites are looking to boost their defensive numbers, and see the 6ft 3' left sided centre back as a solid replacement for Liam Cooper.

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Morning everyone and a sicknote centre back to replace Cooper is a perfect fit. Do you see man city and Arsenal selling playyers for big money (phillips and raph) then wasting it on fat kevs and a bunch of rats?. I cannot Believe a bunch of our fans want kalvin back and don't get me started on that tosspot harrison. Whoever agreed to his contract terms should never work in football again.

 

I heard that Torunarigha might be retiring from football. Apparently his audition for the next Predator film went well & his preference is to be a movie star.

Don't believe it? Me neither. Just made it up. Guess it's the season for the 'experts' to tell us who we'll be signing. Sadly, they never get it right, so, much as he might want it to happen, it won't. Ever.

 

Kinnear and Radz were responsible for agreeing contract details and clauses

 

Afternoon all

Big weekend ahead

 

What !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you telling me WJ that I have wasted the whole of my morning and god knows how many pounds, getting my back tattooed with a picture of Torunarigha and it was pointless, as he is going to be a film star instead