Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly activated a contract extension for one of their defenders in spite of the fact that he is likely to be sold this summer.
It has been nearly four years since Spurs shelled out £10.3m to bring Joe Rodon to the club from Swansea City in 2020, capturing the Welshman when Jose Mourinho was at the helm.
However, Rodon has failed to live up to his potential in North London, making just 24 appearances for the Lilywhites, and he has not played a competitive fixture for the club since May 2022.
After a productive loan spell at Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in the 2022-23 season, the Wales international spent the 2023-24 campaign with Leeds United, chalking up 50 appearances during the Whites' promotion push.
Daniel Farke's men ultimately suffered a 1-0 defeat to Southampton in their playoff final, harming their prospects of keeping Rodon on the books permanently, and the defender has since returned to Tottenham.
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Rodon 'expected to leave' despite extension
The 26-year-old was due to become a free agent at the end of the month, but upon announcing their released and retained list, Tottenham did not state that Rodon would be leaving the club on a free transfer this summer.
Instead, football.london reports that the Lilywhites have activated the 12-month extension clause in Rodon's deal, thereby tying him down until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
However, the club's decision does not stem from Rodon potentially having a future at Tottenham, as he has been deemed surplus to requirements by Ange Postecoglou and is expected to head for the exit door this summer.
The centre-back's extension will at least allow Tottenham to recoup a small fee through an imminent sale, and Rodon was apparently informed of the decision to prolong his terms last month.
It is not clear if Leeds possess the financial muscle to pull off a permanent deal for Rodon, but the former Swansea youngster is still understood to have caught the eye of several clubs with his performances in the Championship.
Which Tottenham players could leave alongside Rodon?
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As Tottenham now work on offloading a plethora of unwanted names, four summer exits have already been confirmed, as Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga will depart when their deals expire at the end of the month.
Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic - both of whom left in January - will be officially severed from their Tottenham contracts in a few weeks' time too, and Spurs' list of first-team departures could hit double figures this summer.
Fellow defenders Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal are both on the chopping block, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp fell down Postecoglou's pecking order and are open to summer exits as well.
Bids could also be entertained for Richarlison as Tottenham endeavour to sign a new marquee centre-forward, in addition to Giovani Lo Celso, Bryan Gil, Tanguy Ndombele and Djed Spence, the latter of whom is in talks over a permanent move to Genoa.
Ben Knapton
