Exclusive: Sky pundit drops Premier League claim amid Leeds United interest in Leicester City star | OneFootball

James Justin is on Leeds' radar and while Leicester wouldn't want to lose him, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman feels he should be in the Premier League.

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has spoken exclusively to FLW about the future of James Justin, who's reportedly of interest to Leeds United.

Few other clubs are going into the 2025-26 season in a more delicately balanced position than Leicester City.

As a team freshly relegated from the Premier League, they will be expected to challenge for a quick return to the top-flight, but the club's financial predicament also leaves them at risk of a season-derailing points deduction. It could go either way.

One of the consequences of relegation is that significant changes are required to the first team squad. Premier League clubs will be monitoring players from clubs just relegated to see who they can prise away, and that is now the position in the case of the Leicester full-back James Justin.

Justin signed for Leicester from Luton in 2019 and made it as far as the England senior team despite a serious injury having got in the way.

With Leicester having been relegated, it's been reported by Leeds United News that the Whites have a 'serious interest' in taking the player to Elland Road as they prepare for their return to the Premier League.

Don Goodman: James Justin "belongs in the Premier League"

Football League World have spoken exclusively to Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman about Leeds' interest in Justin.

"I can absolutely see why Leeds United would want to sign James Justin," he told us.

"I remember him bursting on the scene with Luton, getting his move and doing great things with Leicester City, getting in the England squad and picking up a terrible injury which took a long time to get over."

Goodman feels that Justin deserves a quick return to the Premier League: "I think there are signs that this 27-year-old, who's in the prime of his physical and mental powers, belongs in the Premier League.

"The area of right back will be very competitive at Leeds United. They already have a very good one in Jayden Bogle."

Even if Justin can't find a way past Bogle into the Leeds first team, Goodman still believes that the full-back could find a role in the Leeds squad: "But James Justin can also play left-back and with Leeds having lost Junior Firpo, maybe he will provide cover there.

"I can completely understand that Marti Cifuentes and Leicester would be disappointed to lose him, but this is a player who needs to be playing in the Premier League."

Justin is an accomplished and versatile Premier League player

Justin came through the academy system at Luton Town before transferring to Leicester City in 2019 for £8 million.

He'd already impressed at Luton to the extent that he'd been selected for the England under-20s, but he flowered at Leicester.

Luck wasn't on his side, however. A serious knee injury early in 2021 left him out of the Leicester team that won the FA Cup at the end of that season.

But when he returned, he was drafted into the England squad and made his full debut against Hungary at the start of June 2022, only to have to be replaced at half-time because of injury,

What Justin primarily could offer Leeds is versatility. He can play in a full-back position on either side but can also play in midfield. He's also got bucketloads of Premier League experience, having made almost 100 appearances in the top-flight for Leicester.

One of the harsh realities of relegation is that you will lose some of your best players. James Justin is an accomplished player, and Leeds' interest in him is completely understandable.