Daniel Farke took on a massive assignment when he succeeded Sam Allardyce at Elland Road, where the club was prepared for life back in the Championship with players going left, right, and centre.
He steered the ship with a cool attitude that immediately won fans over, although he was greatly aided by the calibre of the acquisitions he made.
A questionable red card aside for Rodon, he has been virtually spotless so far in a Leeds shirt since joining from Tottenham on loan in the summer.
He has partnered Pascal Struijk flawlessly so far with that pairing in the starting lineup unbeaten so far in seven games together, conceding just five in that time and keeping four clean sheets in the process.
The idea of keeping clean sheets seemed absolutely alien last season, keeping just two in 2023 and shipping an eye-watering 49 goals between New Year’s Day and the end of the campaign.
A direct replacement for Robin Koch, Rodon has stepped into a chaotic environment and looked totally calm, leading by example and bringing the best out of those around him, showing just that on international duty too, as he helped Wales to beat Croatia last Sunday.
A loan agreement was sealed in the end for Rodon, but Leeds should be buoyed in their potential future attempt to bring him here permanently.
That is because Spurs initially wished to sell him to us in the summer, with The Athletic revealing that they were asking for £15million, before being talked down to a more feasible loan deal.
In the EFL, that sort of fee is just out of reach when looking at defenders, but with a further year down on his contract, Rodon will be in the final year of his deal next summer, with (hopefully) a very impressive campaign in the Championship behind him, meaning he’s going to be worth less.
Leeds have already improved at the back by signing Rodon, and they need to do everything to ensure he’s here long-term, and that we’re not stuck trying to replace him in 2024.
