By Alan Hutton

5th Oct, 2023 | 6:30am

Pundit drops 'huge' Leeds United claim amid latest 'struggle'

Losing most of their top players has played a “huge” part in Leeds United’s struggle for form in the Championship this season.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Tottenham and Aston Villa knows how difficult life in the second division can be, especially if your top players are picked off.

Back in July, Football Insider revealed that there were a host of stars with relegation clauses in their contracts that mean they were eligible to be sent on loan following the Whites’ drop down to the Championship.

Leeds lost important players including Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra and Robin Koch as well as Brendan Aaronson, Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen, among others.

The Yorkshire club are currently 12th in the English second division after a tricky start to their new campaign with just three wins from their opening nine games.

When asked if losing so many of their top players is part of their struggles this term, Hutton told Football Insider: “Of course it will be a huge part of it.

“I have been involved with a team that has gone down and the first thing that happens is that your top players get picked off. It is part of football, it always happens.

“The odd team that tends to hold on to as many as possible can go into the Championship and deliver performances. It is a hard league, you are playing every midweek and weekend so you need a big strong squad to be able to cope with those demands.

“When you do get rid of four, five or six guaranteed starters who were top players, you are always going to struggle. I understand why they are struggling when they have lost their top players.“

In other news, Kieran Maguire ‘surprised’ by Angus Kinnear’s £40m Leeds United claim.