"That is a concern" - Leeds United warning issued to Preston North End over Sam Greenwood deal | OneFootball

Greenwood looks to have no future at Elland Road, having agreed to move to another Championship rival

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

For the second summer running, Leeds United find themselves sanctioning a wholesale squad clearout, with Sam Greenwood one of the latest to depart for pastures new after signing for Championship rivals Preston North End.

The nature of the latest Elland Road exodus is somewhat different given that Leeds have less high-earners to desperately wipe off the books compared to last summer in the immediate aftermath of relegation from the Premier League.

It's still a call of duty, of course, but now the Whites are equally keen to clear the squad out of younger, lower-earning fringe players.

Cody Drameh and Ian Poveda have both left the club following the expiration of their contracts, while Kristoffer Klaesson has also moved on. Greenwood meanwhile has headed to PNE on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Leeds United verdict given on Sam Greenwood's Preston North End switch

Versatile attacker Greenwood spent last season on loan with Middlesbrough, where he initially started brightly before fading as Middlesbrough refused to activate their own purchase option upon conclusion.

Football League World's Leeds fan pundit Kris Smith believes that the 22-year-old possesses promising qualities, but there are other shortcomings to his game that have seen him fail to push on in the senior game.

"Greenwood is a really strange one for me, because he was far too good for youth football when we signed him from Arsenal and then when he broke through into the first-team, he never really kicked on," Kris explained to Football League World.

"The main problem I think he has is that no manager that's really had him for a while in his senior career - (Marcelo) Bielsa, (Jesse) Marsch, (Daniel) Farke and (Michael) Carrick last season - none of them have been able to pin down what his best position is.

"With that, it's really tough to see where he fits in at Leeds or anywhere long-term, and a sale makes a lot of sense if Preston are receptive to that and can get a tune out of him. "It's a good move because I do think he is good enough to make the grade there, but even then I still don't know where he plays for them.

"His ability to strike a football is obviously top-notch and that's why he still ended his Middlesbrough stint with a few goals to his name, but consistency outside of that is something that's been hard to come by.

"There are a lot of weaknesses to his game that he needs to improve on and that is a concern."

Sam Greenwood must rebuild his career away from Leeds United

Greenwood's Leeds career looks to be over either way.

If he flatters to deceive once again next term at Deepdale then it would be nonsensical for Leeds to do anything but sanction a sale in 12 months' time, but then if he finally finds form, then PNE will surely activate their purchase option.

It's now gearing up to be a crucial juncture in Greenwood's career.

As Kris points out, he'd looked so very promising at youth level with both Sunderland and Arsenal and Leeds truly believed they'd landed themselves a future Premier League star when they pinched him from North London.