Max Wober exit paves way for Leeds United cash windfall as supporters share loan concern - YEP 24/7/23
Max Wober’s prospective move to Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach could see fellow wantaway Leeds United stars jostling for the one remaining outgoing international loan the club are permitted to make this summer.
By Joe Donnohue
FIFA regulations permit clubs to make seven incoming and
seven outgoing international loans during the course of the season. Leeds
currently have five players out on loan at foreign sides: Robin Koch, Brenden
Aaronson, Diego Llorente, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca, with Max Wober in
line to become the sixth if he completes a temporary move to German side
Monchengladbach.
News of Wober’s prospective transfer arose following his
absence from Leeds’ friendly versus AS Monaco last weekend. The Austrian international
played no part in the 2-0 defeat, having informed the club he intended to
depart this season, having only signed in January from FC Red Bull Salzburg in
a £10 million move.
Should Wober become the third Leeds player to join a Bundesliga
club on loan this summer after Koch and Aaronson, that will leave one remaining
outgoing international loan the club can make during 2023/24. That is per FIFA
regulations which stipulate: “From 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, a club may have
a maximum of eight professionals loaned out and eight loaned in at any given
time during a season.
“From 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the same configuration
applies but with a maximum of seven professionals.”
A Wober exit would likely force Leeds into pursuing sales,
rather than loans, for the remaining wantaway members of Daniel Farke’s squad,
unless moves could be agreed with clubs in the United Kingdom, as FIFA do not
regulate domestic loans.
So far this summer, Leeds have recouped just £3.5 million in
transfer fees, as Rodrigo joined Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan on a permanent deal.
Reaching their limit on outgoing international loans is one
way to ensure Leeds make sales this summer, as Farke acknowledged it is
difficult to know who will still be at his disposal once the summer transfer
window closes, indicating there are individuals at the club who see their
future elsewhere.
Many of whom are on long-term contracts and Leeds are not
obligated to sell at a cut-price simply because a player has requested to leave;
the club are entitled to ask for fair market value when negotiating.
"At the moment you can’t give any guarantees because
the contract situation is like it is and you also have to respect this, so,
this happened before my time and I respect the realistic situation,” Farke said
last weekend, discussing whether Willy Gnonto would still be a United player in
September after Leeds rejected a £15 million bid from Everton for the young
Italian.
Supporters, meanwhile, have expressed concern on social
media over the club’s outgoing business so far this summer, opting to loan out
rather than sell players.
Ultimately, though, it could result in a scenario which
works in Leeds’ favour by retaining players the club initially had little hope
of keeping following relegation from the Premier League.
One thing is certain, though – there will be player trading
right up until the transfer deadline.
