Noel Whelan believes it’s in the best interests of all parties if Kiko Casilla leaves Leeds United in the next transfer window.
Bringing the stopper to Elland Road from Real Madrid in the January window last year was seen as a coup for the Whites and it was hoped he could help Leeds return to the Premier League. As we know, that didn’t happen, as Marcelo Bielsa’s men lost in the play-off semi-final to Derby, with a costly Casilla mistake helping the Rams to victory.
Despite that, the Spaniard kept his place in the XI this season but he is currently serving an eight-game ban after he was found guilty of using racist language towards Charlton’s Jonathan Leko in a game back in September.
As a result, his reputation has suffered and there have been reports that suggest he could return to his home country in the summer. And, Whelan told Football Insider that the Yorkshire outfit should be doing all they can to shift the keeper.
Should Kiko Casilla play for Leeds United again?
Yes
No
“After the allegations and the guilty charge of racism, even though it was a probability charge, I think the best scenario for player and club is that he leaves. Hopefully he can find another club.
“We have also seen too many mistakes from Kiko this season. I do not want to put a shadow over his time at Leeds because he has made some fantastic saves but his horrific decision making will probably be what he is remembered for, unfortunately.”
Whether it will be easy to sell Casilla remains to be seen, as the 33-year-old is contracted to Leeds until the summer of 2023.
Whilst he has made mistakes, it should be noted that the keeper has played his part in helping the team to the top of the Championship this season. Casilla has featured in 35 games and kept 15 clean sheets in the process.