David Prutton believes Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa will be able to find a suitable replacement for defender Pontus Jansson. 

The 28-year-old was one of Leeds' most consistent performers in the Championship last season and scored three goals in 39 league appearances for the Whites, as they just missed out on promotion.

However, the centre-back left Elland Road to join Brentford for a reported fee of £5.5million last week, after head coach Marcelo Bielsa told him to find a new club.

Former Leeds midfielder Prutton has backed Bielsa to find a suitable replacement for Jansson and believes his departure from Elland Road could create an opportunity for one of the younger players to establish themselves in the first team.

"In terms of replacing Pontus, whatever signing and whatever transfer you make is always a risk anyway," Prutton wrote in his column for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"A big name with a storied CV doesn’t necessarily mean everything.

"Over a course of a season, yes, they will get you more points then they will lose you but who’s to say that Ben White won’t come in and take to it like a duck to water or even young Pascal Struijk.

"Bielsa is putting young kids in that he knows a lot about and he has seen a lot about and heard a lot about.

"They might be untried at a certain level but he will know exactly what they are capable of and I think you have got to be trusting of the players that he brings in.

"I understand the other side of it and Pontus played himself into a position of real importance but the opportunity is now there for another player to do the same thing."

It has been a busy couple of weeks for Leeds in the transfer market, with several defenders leaving Elland Road on permanent deals, including Jansson, Aapo Halme, Tyler Denton, Liam Kitching and Paudie O'Connor.

Ben White is the only defender to sign for Leeds so far this summer, after he joined on a season-long loan from Brighton.

The Verdict

Jansson was an important player for Leeds over the past few seasons. His committed performances on the pitch had seen him become a fans' favourite at Elland Road and I'm sure Leeds supporters will be disappointed to see him leave the club.

On his day, Jansson is one of the best defenders in the Championship and Leeds may struggle to find a good long-term replacement for him.

I do agree with what Prutton is saying though. If anyone can find a good replacement for Jansson, it's Bielsa and I'm not sure he would have sold such a key player unless he already had an adequate replacement lined up.

Bielsa has shown throughout his time at Elland Road that he is prepared to give young players a chance and he may feel that one of is youngsters is good enough to make an impact for the first team or that White is capable of stepping up.