
Not good enough: Why Leeds must resist temptation to offer contract to first teamer
COMMENT By Will Butcher
Leeds must not offer Souleymane Doukara a new contract as his current deal enters its final months.
The 25-year-old has less than six months remaining at Elland Road if Garry Monk’s side do not renew his current deal.
Frenchman Doukara, who is recognised as a centre-forward but has featured regularly on the left of Leeds’ attack this season, may have done enough in Monk’s eyes to warrant a new deal.
However, Leeds should refrain from offering the versatile forward another contract as his form has been inconsistent at best.
Doukara has shown he is more than capable of producing the quality required when he wants to.
His solo run to win a penalty in the 2-0 home win against Burton Albion, as well as his goal of the season contender against Nottingham Forest, are both strong examples of what he can do.
But Leeds’ number 11 has failed to prove his ability on a regular basis under the guidance of Monk.
His performance against Huddersfield on Sunday saw him go missing for large parts of the match and it was costly.
The sad truth is that this has happened too much this season.
Although “The Duke” is held in high regard by the Elland Road faithful, the loan signings of Alfonso Pedraza and Modou Barrow have meant that Doukara is expendable.
Leeds must now look to players who would be good enough to thrive in the Premier League next season, and given his form it’s debatable whether Doukara is even good enough for another tilt at the Championship if Leeds miss out.
Doukara is expected to lose his place in the starting line-up to face Cardiff on Saturday, and this should be a clear sign that his future in Yorkshire is coming to an end.
It might seem harsh but Doukara should be left to consider his options in the summer.
In other Leeds news, James Beattie sent this message to Chris Wood on Twitter.
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