Leeds United will have some big decisions to make this summer, regardless of the division they find themselves in at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.
Too many members of the Championship title-winning squad have been allowed to stagnate at Elland Road in the Premier League and they must be moved on by Javi Gracia in order to free up room for more talented young signings such as Wilfried Gnonto and Tyler Adams.
There were once high hopes for one of Leeds' most promising young midfielders, Jamie Shackleton, but the 23-year-old should finally be allowed to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer.
Should Leeds sell Shackleton this summer?
Shackleton would join Leeds when he was just seven, meaning he has been at the club for 16 years now, making his first-team debut under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2018/19 Championship season.
He would go on to play 78 times under the Argentine manager at Elland Road but has been used sparingly since his exit, featuring just once under Jesse Marsch before being allowed to join Millwall on loan in the Championship last summer.
While he has featured 34 times in all competitions for Gary Rowett's side so far this term, only half of those have been starts, with the youngster having failed to score or assist in any of his appearances.
Worryingly, WhoScored has awarded the £1.5k-per-week earner a dreadful 6.25 average rating for his performances in the Championship, which suggests that even if Leeds do go down this season, he cannot be trusted to be an effective player in the second tier.
Rowett has sung his praises already this season however, with the midfielder lauded by his manager after filling in at right-back in the win against Sheffield United earlier this year.
He said: "Shacks was absolutely outstanding alongside Sav, who was really good as well.
“He (Shackleton) only came off with a bit of cramp because he hasn’t played much. I said to him a month ago that you’re going to get game time and don’t be too disappointed. I couldn’t quite give it him that point, for different reasons, but now he has got the opportunity and he looked a player who really wanted to take that opportunity.”
Unfortunately, he has rarely lived up that billing on too many occasions throughout his career.
Indeed, Although Bielsa was clearly a fan of Shackleton, his performances didn't really merit so many appearances in the Premier League, as he was ranked as their 14th-best performer last season with a woeful 6.45 average rating from WhoScored.
Considering he hasn't lived up to his potential at Leeds and has struggled in the second tier this season, Gracia must ensure that he leaves on a permanent deal this summer, rather than letting him languish at the club until his contract expires in 2024.
