Leeds United have been warned they have a promising young player on board whose agents will already be looking to secure a move away in January due to his lack of playing time.
The Yorkshire side had a very chaotic transfer window, as while they brought in several new faces, they also lost some key individuals, but that hasn’t stopped them from making a solid start to the Championship campaign.
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The talented youngster has flourished since moving on from Elland Road.
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It was reported this week that one of Leeds’ new signings, Ao Tanaka, wasn’t in fact the club’s first choice to be brought in to reinforce the midfield. The Whites decided to move for the Japanese midfielder after they had missed out on other targets.
Joe Rodon
Tottenham
Largie Ramazani
UD Almeria
Jayden Bogle
Sheff Utd
Ao Tanaka
F. Düsseldorf
Isaac Schmidt
FC St. Gallen
Alex Cairns
Salford City
Manor Solomon (Loan)
Tottenham
Joe Rothwell (Loan)
Bournemouth
One of the players that Leeds were said to be interested in signing was FC Koln midfielder Dejan Ljubicic, with the Championship side having a bid worth £3.4 million rejected earlier in this transfer window.
It has now come to light that Ljubicic has rejected a new contract at the German side and will become a free agent nine months from now if no new deal is agreed. The 26-year-old is already up and running for FC Koln this season, and while they try and get him to sign a new contract, the player just wants to concentrate on his football, according to the club’s sporting director, Christian Keller, leaving things open for Leeds to make another attempt in 2025.
As Leeds may eye a deal for Ljubicic in January or possibly next summer, they may also have to face that one of their current players could be looking to leave when that transfer window arrives.
Leeds warned Gelhardt will be plotting a January exit
Former England midfielder Carlton Palmer has warned Leeds that they have a player in Joe Gelhardt whose agent may already be plotting a January transfer.
This is because the young striker has remained at Elland Road this season despite him falling down the pecking order at the club and struggling to make an impact since his move from Wigan Athletic. The 22-year-old, who is said to earn £15,000 a week at Leeds, has played 56 times for the Yorkshire side since joining in 2020, scoring just three goals, but most of his shining moments came under Marcelo Bielsa.
Palmer told Football League World: “I’m surprised he didn’t leave Leeds this summer. Joe Gelhardt finds himself in an unenviable position at the moment. He’s 22, and he’s getting very little game time at Leeds United. I’m surprised he didn’t leave Leeds this summer.
"There were previously last season, the likes of Ipswich Town, who were interested in him. The season before, he went on loan to Championship Sunderland, where he played 18 games and only scored three goals.
"I am surprised that him and his advisors haven’t sorted a move. He needs to play football, and he’s just not getting any game time, and the years are ticking on. I’m sure his advisors now will be looking at it saying, listen, right, if he’s not getting game time, I think by the time we get to the Championship transfer window, they’ll look to get him out, whether it’s on loan or on a permanent deal."
