A whole host of new signings ended up entering the door at Leeds United this summer, balancing out somewhat the number of high-profile departures that also exited the building.
Daniel Farke‘s men made eight fresh purchases in total during the turbulent window, with the likes of Joe Rodon, Largie Ramazani and Ao Tanaka all bolstering the squad, hopeful they won’t flop under the immense strain of being favourites for promotion in the Championship.
Leeds have been hurt in the past when it comes to signings eventually turning out to be duds, with Tyler Roberts a notable recent example, after he was purchased just a few months before the wild reign of Marcelo Bielsa began and was tipped for great things.
Roberts’ time at Leeds
The iconic manager would end up handing Roberts his first taste of men’s football at Elland Road, after exciting those who had watched him at U21 level in West Yorkshire when signing from West Bromwich Albion in 2018.
Helping himself to an impressive five goals from just seven games in that age bracket, Bielsa decided that he could hack the bright lights of the Championship under his early regime, and the beloved South American was right to throw him into the deep end initially.
In only his second senior game for the Whites, Roberts would fire home two strikes against Preston North End to help his new side overcome the visitors from Lancashire with ease in an emphatic 3-0 win.
He would bow out from his first full campaign in the men’s team with three goals and six assists next to his name, a promising return for an attacker who was noted for having “big potential” by former Leeds hero Pablo Hernandez.
However, it wouldn’t be all smooth sailing for Roberts when pulling on a Leeds strip, as only six more goals and four more assists would come his way when playing at Elland Road, as he gradually fell down the pecking order at the club.
Injury issues and inconsistent form would result in Roberts only starting seven league games for the Whites during the 2021/22 campaign and that would end up being his swansong season for the West Yorkshire titans.
Roberts’ career since Leeds
Now, the once highly tipped Leeds youngster is struggling down in League One, having been loaned out to Northampton Town for the season ahead after failing to breathe life into his stuttering playing days at Birmingham City last campaign.
Amazingly, after bursting onto the scene as a young livewire for Bielsa back in 2018 with two goals on only his second-ever Leeds start, Roberts is now deep into a barren patch of 19 months without a single strike, after last scoring for another of his ex-clubs in Queens Park Rangers early last year.
He wasn’t helped by his circumstances last season, however, as a toxic Birmingham environment started by Wayne Rooney’s shock arrival at St. Andrew’s contributed to the Blues slipping down a division, but Roberts still only managed to tally up one assist from 21 forgettable appearances.
Roberts for Leeds & after leaving Leeds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Teams played for | Games | Goals | Assists |
Leeds | 108 | 9 | 10 |
Birmingham | 21 | 0 | 1 |
QPR | 20 | 4 | 0 |
Sourced by Transfermarkt | |||
The Wales international will hope a spell away with the Cobblers can see him get back to his best, after finding every move since he lined up for Leeds inevitably ends up petering out.
Still, the 25-year-old has plenty of years on his side to try and resurrect his playing days and a move away from St. Andrews could see him regain that fire in his belly again to succeed.
If he doesn’t perform well at Sixfields during his stint though, it would be another club that Roberts has struggled at since leaving Leeds, in a career that continues to have new lows.
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