'Agreement in principle' for Leeds United exit as Daniel Farke eyes replacement — YEP 28/7/25
By Kyle Newbould
Leeds United have already loaned out Max Wober as Daniel
Farke oversees his Premier League rebuild.
Isaac Schmidt could be set to join Max Wober in Germany amid
reports the defender has agreed a deal in principle to join Werder Bremen on
loan.
Schmidt was likely to spend another season on the fringes of
first-team football at Leeds, having been used sparingly by Daniel Farke ever
since his £2.5million arrival from St Gallen. The versatile full-back was
described as a ‘young and exciting’ prospect by his manager and managed just 78
minutes of Championship action via 12 substitute appearances.
The 25-year-old hasn’t yet featured for Leeds in pre-season
due to a minor calf injury, albeit he watched from the stands in Stockholm and
trained individually out in Germany. But it appears he could now be on the way
out with Sky Germany reporting on a prospective move to Werder Bremen.
In a post on X, journalist Patrick Berger claimed an
agreement in principle had been reached between the Bundesliga outfit and
Schmidt, who is set to leave Leeds on loan for the 2025/26 campaign. Talks
between both clubs are said to be ongoing, with no clarity on whether said deal
will include an option or obligation to buy.
Berger adds that Farke is keen to secure a replacement
before giving Schmidt the green light to move, with Leeds already relatively
light in terms of full-back depth. Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson are
first-choice on the right and left, respectively, but only Schmidt and
31-year-old Sam Byram are available as cover.
With Schmidt injured through pre-season so far, Leeds have
had to be creative with their full-back options during friendlies against
Manchester United, SC Verl and Paderborn. Academy graduate Sam Chambers and
returning loanee Jack Harrison - both wingers - have filled in at times but
cannot do so in the Premier League.
Isaac Schmidt Leeds United exit hint arrived earlier this
summer
Earlier this summer, Schmidt’s agent hinted a summer move
could be on the cards, with his client keen to play regularly ahead of next
summer’s World Cup. The 25-year-old made his debut for Switzerland during the
2024/25 campaign and impressed, despite his limited minutes at club level.
“He has developed, matured as a player, and proven himself
with the national team,” Baykal Bellusci told Swiss newspaper Blick. “In a
World Cup year, the top priority shouldn’t be to focus on finances. Instead,
it’s all about one thing: Where can I play the most games to prove myself? I’m
convinced we’ll find a very good solution for him this summer.”
Leeds sanctioned Wober’s loan switch to Werder Bremen
earlier this summer, with the 27-year-old another 2024/25 fringe player whose
minutes at Premier League-level looked unlikely to improve. The decision for a
temporary switch prevents the Whites from booking a PSR loss on the Austrian,
who’d have had to leave for over £5m in order to break even.
Patrick Bamford has also been informed he is not part of
Farke’s plans for next season, with the likelihood being he’ll look to leave in
search of more regular football elsewhere, while there is interest in Illan
Meslier. Young striker Mateo Joseph last week informed the club of his desire
to leave, albeit neither Real Betis nor anyone else is yet to meet the club’s
asking price.