Leeds United are relatively threadbare at the back with only three recognised centre-backs in Liam Cooper, Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson and it is one of these, Jansson, who says in a report on TUTTOmercatoWEB (TMW) that he wants to return the Whites to the Premier League.
Eight-cap Swede Jansson, who is in the Sweden squad for tonight’s game against the Netherlands, signed for Sky Bet Championship side Leeds United on loan from Serie A side Torino in mid-August and has had one run out for the Whites in the EFL Cup Second Round win over Luton Town.
With club captain Sol Bamba leaving the club citing ‘personal issues’, Jansson’s place in the squad will come under even closer scrutiny with the 6ft 5in Swedish international likely to play a bigger part in Leeds’ league proceedings as the Whites negotiate the tricky four months until the January transfer window opens again.
Speaking to Italian website TMW, Jansson spoke candidly about his new adventure in English football, stating that he has the drive and ambition for Leeds to succeed whilst he is at the club. Stating that he is at Elland Road to “play regularly”, the recently added defender went on to say that he “wants to return Leeds to the Premier League as soon as possible.”
He went on to tell TMW that he believes that the one thing he can add to Leeds’ efforts to improve is his tenacity and drive saying that he “is an aggressive defender, who always gives one hundred percent.”
Leeds’ next Sky Bet Championship game is against near neighbours Huddersfield Town on Saturday, with Jansson likely to be given a bench spot should he feature for Sweden tonight. However, should he not feature then Garry Monk may well decide to throw the big defender in at the deep end in the most hotly contested of local derbies.
