Leeds United squad audit: Who stays and who goes this summer?

An hour after relegation on Sunday, all that was left on the pitch at Elland Road were a few Leeds United players and their families.

That sort of scene is customary on the final day of a season but in any circumstances, and particularly when a club have gone down, all thoughts turn to which of those players are traipsing the grass for the last time. Leeds are back in the Championship. Change is afoot. The dressing room is primed for a clear-out as the consequences of falling off the Premier League gravy train kick in.

To an extent, Leeds covered themselves for this eventuality by negotiating relegation wage-reduction clauses with most of their players, some as steep as 60 per cent, but the squad is going to be fairly unrecognisable when next season gets going. Some currently in it will ask to leave in the weeks ahead. The club will choose to sell others. A summer of major churn lies ahead.

• Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani offered Elland Road as security in deal to buy Sampdoria

The exact direction of travel at Elland Road depends on a resolution of the ownership situation. A permanent head coach is also needed, and so is a replacement for departed director of football Victor Orta. But in that dressing room, as it stands, who goes and who stays? And which of their players’ futures can Leeds actually control?

Here is an audit of the existing first-team pool.

Elsewhere on The Athletic…

• Arne Slot’s Feyenoord, access all areas: Kickboxing, Beckham clips and why he stayed
• Will Newcastle’s new shirt sponsor be approved by the Premier League?

Goalkeepers

Illan Meslier (contract expires 2026)

This feels like the right time for Leeds to consider offers for Meslier. He’s a player with obvious potential and has plenty of Premier League experience now, but an extended period as the last line in a very weak defence has had a clear impact on his form and his development. If he is to progress as he should, that probably needs to happen elsewhere; on his current trajectory, the 23-year-old Frenchman’s value will only slide further. Tottenham Hotspur have long had a quiet eye on him. Is this the moment to cash in?

Joel Robles (out of contract)

Leeds are tempted to keep Robles for the Championship and although his one-year deal is up, both sides were open to an extension if it suited them equally. Whether or not that would make him first-choice next season, as the 32-year-old Spaniard was under Sam Allardyce towards the end of this season, is another matter but the club value his experience and are not opposed to the idea of him sticking around.

Kristoffer Klaesson (contract expires 2025)

The intention with Klaesson was that if and when Meslier was sold — and the plan for a while was that the latter would be the player used to raise major transfer income in this window, similar to Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips last summer — Klaesson would have improved to the point where he could genuinely compete for a place in the side. He has hardly had a sniff at first-team level but, even if Robles stays, the plan is for the 22-year-old Norwegian to carry on as a back-up option.

Right-backs

Luke Ayling (contract expires 2024)

Ayling looked increasingly exposed in the Premier League and there is an argument that a player who turns 32 in August has offered Leeds as much as he can. Relegation notwithstanding, the club have had terrific service in return for the £200,000 he cost seven years ago. That said, they will be mindful of making sure the 2023-24 dressing room has sufficient nous and personality in it, and if they think Ayling can still cut it back at Championship level, they will give him the year ahead.

Rasmus Kristensen (contract expires 2027)

Kristensen is a full Denmark international with a European Championship on the horizon but he had a very mediocre debut year at Elland Road and it is difficult to know if there would be much of a market for him in this summer’s transfer window. He was relatively cheap by Premier League standards at around £10million and the club cannot expect to raise much by selling him. If he is willing to drop down a division — and the indication at this stage is that he wants to stay — then perhaps they will get more out of him in the EFL.

Cody Drameh (contract expires 2024)

Giving Drameh a proper go as Leeds’ right-back next season is a no-brainer. The 21-year-old has just been promoted to the Premier League while on loan at Luton Town and is easily good enough for the Championship. But he has been none too happy about his lack of opportunities at Elland Road and, given that he has just 12 months left on his deal, Leeds would have to convince him his involvement next season would be meaningful. His stock is rising as the club’s status is falling and he proved during Marcelo Bielsa’s time that he is very strong-willed when it comes to dictating his career path. Luton would happily take him back.

Central defenders

Max Wober (contract expires 2027)

A little like Kristensen, Wober is not so high profile that he will have clubs crawling all over him in the coming window but he was one of Leeds’ better signings this season, for all that means, and would do a job for a side at a higher level than the top division of the EFL. Leeds rate the 25-year-old Austria international and like his attitude, though, and would see him as a big asset in a squad trying to win promotion. Wober will be one of the players they try to persuade to stay.

Liam Cooper (contract expires 2024)

The decision here, as with Ayling, will be about how much Cooper can still offer. He is a year away from completing a decade at Leeds and he and the club have done well by each other, but injury stopped him playing much this season and, also like Ayling, he is 32 in August. Cooper tends to be a lightning rod for criticism, some of it excessive, and it remains to be seen if he is tempted by fresh pastures, because interest in him is out there. But there are people inside Elland Road who want to keep him in the mix.

Robin Koch (contract expires 2024)

Leeds held contract talks with Koch a while ago but they got put on hold as relegation became a serious threat and there is no prospect of him signing an extension now. The 26-year-old German has 12 months to go on his contract, and has international ambitions which are unlikely to be realised playing in the EFL. Common sense says Koch will move on — and for less than his true value.

Koch is likely to leave Leeds for less than they would have wanted for him (Getty Images)

Diego Llorente (contract expires 2026)

Leeds extended Llorente’s deal in December — a somewhat odd move given he was hardly getting any action. The idea was to maximise his resale value, and when he went on loan to Roma soon after, an £18million option was agreed with the Italian side. But they haven’t taken it up after just five Serie A starts, so Llorente is coming back to Yorkshire. He turns 30 this summer and probably falls into the category of: footballer Leeds will have to work hard to get off the wage bill.

Pascal Struijk (contract expires 2027)

Struijk’s form has deteriorated steeply over the past couple of years but it has hardly helped that coach after coach keeps trying him at left-back, a position that’s clearly not for him. He still managed to get himself into the Netherlands squad ahead of the World Cup (though not their final 26 for the tournament) and with a boost in confidence and some positive management, he could yet be a big player for the club. Nonetheless, there is a fair likelihood that Struijk is someone they’ll lose. Offers for him are anticipated.

Charlie Cresswell (contract expires 2025)

An interesting one. Leeds would have happily sold Cresswell in January, and Stoke City tried to get him after selling Harry Souttar to Leicester City before the deadline, but the 20-year-old grew during a good loan spell at Millwall this season and, given that he has done it in the Championship, it would be odd if Leeds did not want him to be part of their plans for the same league. But they would have to persuade him he will actually play — because Cresswell does not want to sit around kicking his heels.

Diogo Monteiro (contract expires 2026)

Monteiro was an Orta signing in January and common sense says that having joined so recently, he is going to be here for a while longer yet. How quickly the Portuguese teenager comes into first-team reckoning is a separate discussion, though. Many who watched Leeds’ under-21 side win promotion from their league this season felt Jeremiah Mullen, also 18, had the better campaign of the two at centre-back.

Leo Hjelde (contract expires 2025)

Hjelde turned in 11 starts for loan club Rotherham United during the second half of this season, helping them stay in the Championship. The Norwegian is only 19 and seems to have something about him. One to keep.

Left-back

Junior Firpo (contract expires 2025)

His wages are relatively high, his form has rarely caught the eye for more than the odd game here and there and it will be a huge surprise if Leeds don’t recruit at his position. If the club can find a taker, there is very little justification for retaining Firpo and they won’t stand in his way.

Central midfielders

Adam Forshaw (out of contract)

It has to be said that Forshaw was one of the few players remotely pulling any strings in Sunday’s finale against Spurs. Fundamentally, he is a very good midfielder — Bielsa would tell you that. But while Leeds have the option to extend his stay by 12 more months, they cannot ignore the way injuries have plagued him and limited his game time. Relying heavily on Forshaw again would feel like repeating the same mistake.

Tyler Adams (contract expires 2027)

One of the players Leeds desperately want to retain. They think a midfielder with his character and tenacity is tailor-made to help lead a club out of the Championship. They also hope the United States’ guaranteed qualification for the 2026 World Cup as co-hosts, and the possibility the coach who brought him to Elland Road last summer, Jesse Marsch, might become the next USMNT boss would protect Adams’ international interests. But at least one Premier League club is tracking him and it won’t be a shock if someone tries to force Leeds’ hand.

McKennie, left, will go and while Leeds want to keep Adams, it will be tough (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Marc Roca (contract expires 2026)

Roca has three years left on his contract but all the recent noise suggests a return to his native Spain is likely. He was fairly inexpensive when Leeds signed him from Bayern Munich last July but he didn’t look at all suited to the tactics Marsch went for in the first half of the season and Allardyce quickly turned to others in his midfield when he was appointed for the final four games. Real Betis are already being linked with the 26-year-old.

Weston McKennie (on loan from Juventus)

A permanent deal for January signing McKennie was contingent on top-flight survival anyway and, for a while, neither he nor Leeds have had any interest in extending the partnership. A failure of a transfer and he goes back to Turin for now.

Darko Gyabi (contract expires 2026)

This is precisely the time when someone like Gyabi comes into the frame. He’s been on the fringes of the first team, has been excellent for Leeds Under-21s and played in all four England games at the ongoing Under-20s World Cup in Argentina before their last-16 elimination on Wednesday. He is looking to kick on now.

Archie Gray (contract expires 2025)

Not a chance that Leeds will want to get squeezed into fielding bids for Gray. The super-talented 17-year-old is one to retain at all costs.

Sam Greenwood (contract expires 2026)

The club have backed him to this point and while it would be stretching it to say Greenwood looked suited to the Premier League, the experience he’s gained at top level could make him an asset down in the Championship. Leeds will hold onto him.

Stuart Dallas (contract expires 2024)

The first port of call for Dallas is to get back and fit for the start of pre-season, if he can. Then Leeds need to see how he is physically after an extremely long time away from the game (it’s 13 months and counting since his last appearance) recovering from a badly broken leg. But if he’s anything like the Dallas of old, the now 32-year-old will be in their plans.

Jamie Shackleton (contract expires 2024)

Millwall had an option to take Shackleton permanently after the end of his season’s loan there but haven’t come calling yet. Though Shackleton did well for the Londoners in the Championship, it seems as if the boat has sailed for the 23-year-old at Leeds. Pre-season will determine if he gets a last look-in.

Lewis Bate (contract expires 2024)

Injury ended his loan at Oxford United of League One early in March and the 20-year-old is a long way from the Leeds first-team picture. He’s set to move out again, either temporarily once more or in a permanent transfer.

Attacking midfielders

Brenden Aaronson (contract expires 2027)

Aaronson is one of the players at Leeds with a relegation-related release clause in his contract. How much interest he attracts is a moot point, because the 30-cap US international found the Premier League a massive struggle physically in his first year. The club aren’t pushing the 22-year-old out the door as such but, as with others, his future is going to be influenced by the nature of any offers that arrive. At £25million last summer, Aaronson has been a poor investment to date. Realistically, he will head elsewhere.

Tyler Roberts (contract expires 2024)

It got toxic for Roberts at Leeds, hence his season-long loan to Queens Park Rangers of the Championship. The club will field bids for the 24-year-old Wales international again.

Wingers

Luis Sinisterra (contract expires 2027)

His obvious talent has been overshadowed by a real struggle to stay fit. When Feyenoord sold him to Leeds last summer, they reckoned the Colombia international would take time to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League. A total of 13 starts in the division out of 38 says something about the challenge of transition. Fully fit, the 23-year-old should be dynamite in the Championship. But unless his injuries are too much of a concern, you suspect someone will try to take him off Leeds’ hands — and that Sinisterra will be off. He is also subject to a release clause.

Wilfried Gnonto (contract expires 2027)

OK, his performances latterly were flat and off the boil but Gnonto was a revelation generally and a surprise package after arriving on deadline day last September from Switzerland’s FC Zurich. Lots of clubs are monitoring the 19-year-old, including several back home in Italy, and his value has risen sharply but Leeds will fight to cling onto him. At his best, he has the attributes to be a cut above in the EFL.

Gnonto has had his moments and could thrive in the Championship (Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Jack Harrison (contract expires 2028)

He signed a new contract a matter of weeks ago, tying him to Leeds for the next five years, and in an ideal world he would be part of a promotion push next season. But there are teams in the Premier League who would gladly take him. Newcastle’s Eddie Howe is a known admirer; a coach with money to spend. That new contract includes a release clause, making him fairly easy to sign. The odds are he’ll go.

Daniel James (contract expires 2026)

James has had a truly odd Leeds career to date, with half of his two years spent on loan to Fulham. But that loan is now over and the discussions going on at Elland Road presently suggest he’ll be involved next season.

Crysencio Summerville (contract expires 2026)

He’s young (21) and on a pretty long contract but, despite his talent, don’t be surprised if Leeds listen to approaches for Summerville as part of their need to pull in some cash. He is one on the list of potential departures. Premier League sides Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have had a look at the Dutchman, as have clubs on the continent.

Helder Costa (contract expires 2024)

Yes, he’s still on the books. Costa last played for Leeds in April 2021 and has been on loan at Spain’s Valencia and Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. As before, the club will probably look for his agent, Jorge Mendes, to sort him out for the 12 months he has left on his contract. It’s possible he will stay at Al-Ittihad.

Ian Poveda (contract expires 2024)

Unlikely to be in Leeds’ plans after a season on loan to a Blackpool side who ended up relegated from the Championship. Approaches would be welcomed.

Forwards

Rodrigo (contract expires 2024)

One of the club’s highest earners and with 12 months left on his deal. A summer departure is on the cards.

Patrick Bamford (contract expires 2026)

What to do here? Bamford has three more seasons on his contract and has been so injury-affected over the past two years that the line of clubs willing to pick him up would not be lengthy. From Leeds’ perspective, he must be in the same boat as Forshaw — difficult to put excessive faith in — but even if the club wanted to move him on, how easy would that be to do? Most likely, he is here for the start of next season. But the difficult relationship between him and the crowd is one reason why he could leave.

Georginio Rutter (contract expires 2028)

Arguably the most intriguing situation of all. Rutter is Leeds’ record signing but his value can hardly have increased since his January arrival (one start, no goals, one assist). On the other hand, he’s been here for such a short time that it would be seriously bizarre to see him vanish so quickly. The 21-year-old Frenchman has talent, undoubtedly, and maybe the Championship is a level where he could get on a roll. Much as he’s a very expensive signing for a club playing at that level to hold onto, Leeds intend to do so.

Joe Gelhardt (contract expires 2027)

Unless the next head coach doesn’t fancy him, Leeds will retain and use Gelhardt next season. The 21-year-old, who went to Sunderland on loan in January and helped them make the Championship play-offs, needs to find his spark again but his raw ability is not in doubt.

Sonny Perkins (contract expires 2025)

A good player and a good prospect who has been at Elland Road for less than a year after signing from West Ham last summer. Part of the point of the club’s academy recruitment was that if they went down, those signings would be capable enough to help them get back up.

Mateo Joseph (contract expires 2027)

Joseph scored for fun in the under-21s this season and is only 19. The Spain-born England Under-20s international is a prospect who will hope for a little more first-team game time next season.

(Top photos: Getty Images)