Brenden Aaronson is reportedly ready to embrace a second chance at Leeds, but Danny Mills is not convinced the USMNT star wants Championship football.
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Suffered relegation out of the Premier LeagueLoaned out to Union Berlin for 2023-24 seasonReturning to England with questions being askedWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international was snapped up by fellow countryman Jesse Marsch in the summer of 2022. He registered just one goal during his debut season at Elland Road, which finished in relegation out of the Premier League.
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Aaronson was among those to move on in 2023, as he linked up with Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin on loan, but is now due back in England after Copa America duty with his country. It has been suggested that the 23-year-old is ready to commit to the Whites, allowing him to win over a sceptical fan base.
WHAT MILLS SAID
Former Leeds defender Mills, speaking in association with , has told GOAL when asked if Aaronson could become a game-changer in Daniel Farke’s squad: “It’s a difficult one for Leeds. They have got all sorts of players coming in and going out. It’s a bit of a revolving door. Last season it was like ‘let’s get everybody out’, but there wasn’t too much thought as to what happens when they call come back in. It’s a difficult situation to manage within it. A lot of them will believe that they are Premier League players, or better than the Championship. How do you integrate them back into the squad? They are good players, but integrating them and getting them to believe in the Championship – when it’s Sat-Tues week in, week out – it’s never going to be easy. Players have egos, they have self belief. Daniel Farke did an incredible job at the beginning of last season to manage the revolving door and I think he might have a similar situation when it comes to this one. Until the window is closed, he is not necessarily going to know who is going to be in and who is going to be out.”
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Aaronson has graced the Champions League and World Cup, with Mills adding on whether he will now want to prove his worth in English football: “This is where it comes down to character. Did he want to be there last time in the Championship? It didn’t look like it did it, he was happy to get out of the door as quickly as possible. Will he want to stay and prove himself again? You have to look at the individuals and look at their character. He didn’t want to be there last time around, so why would he want to still be there now in the Championship? As a player you grow, you want to play in League One, then the Championship, then the Premier League, play as an international. To drop back when still at your peak is difficult sometimes. It needs to be a special person and character to be able to handle that.”