Jaidon Anthony would struggle to be an adequate replacement for Crysencio Summerville at Leeds United, according to journalist Michael Normanton.
Leeds’ failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League last season has led to an exodus of key players this summer, with the likes of Archie Gray, Glen Kamara and Crysencio Summerville all being sold for considerable fees.
That has left Daniel Farke short in a number of key areas, not least in the forward line, where things could get much worse with Georginio Rutter seemingly on the verge of leaving and Wilfried Gnonto still linked with an exit.
Bournemouth winger Anthony spent last season on loan at Elland Road but failed to deliver the goods, playing just 879 minutes across all competitions, with only two goals and two assists to his name in 38 appearances.
The Square Ball editor Normanton has heard whispers that Anthony could return to Elland Road this season to help ease Farke’s personnel crisis, but doesn’t feel supporters would be happy with the 24-year-old coming as a Summerville replacement.
“It’s a tough act to follow for anyone coming in, to be the Gray replacement, the Summerville replacement or the Rutter replacement,” said Normanton (via MOT Leeds News).
“These are people who, certainly in the case of Gray and Rutter, people have loved and Summerville was amazing last year as well.
“If, for example, someone came in – Jaidon Anthony is a name I’ve heard linked with coming back – he’s a good player but if he was to come in and sold to us as a Summerville replacement, I think people would be quite rightly annoyed about it and it would put a lot of pressure on him.”
After a poor start to the season that saw them draw 3-3 with Portsmouth in the Championship and lose 3-0 to Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup (both at home), Leeds travel to West Brom this weekend.