Mighty Leeds Weblog

Jonathan Burnett Leeds United and Real Betis are exchanging the relevant documents to formalise a permanent transfer for Marc Roca, according to Diario del Sevilla. The Andalusian publication reported in their print edition (22 June, page 51) that the two clubs have reached an agreement over the 27-year-old’s signing after he spent last season on loan at Betis [Beren Cross, 19 June]. Roca’s transfer will be disclosed for a fee of under £4.25million, despite Betis having the option to extend his current loan deal by another year after Leeds failed to achieve promotion. However, with documents being exchanged to finalise the agreement between the two clubs, Roca is set to depart Elland Road permanently ahead of Betis’ pre-season beginning on 8 July. The Whites face a summer of squad churn and uncertainty following their failure to achieve promotion back to the Premier League in May, and as such getting unwanted wages off the books is a must. Roca, having made his intentions t

A full transcript of the Q&A our Leeds United club writer Beren Cross held yesterday on topics like Leeds United's transfer strategy for the coming summer, Red Bull's influence and the new kit design Millie19: “Hello, Beren. Do you have any idea what the new football top is going to look like? Also, transfers: are we getting any players in to fight for promotion? Thanks.” BC: “Hello, Millie. No, there's been no leaks of the new kit yet. The anticipation for what they do with the Red Bull sponsorship is building, though. “There will, I am sure, be several players arriving to fight for promotion with Leeds. A lot will depend on who moves on between now and August 10 because the vast majority of last season's squad remains in place. “Marathe spoke to us and the other local media after the play-off final and made it clear they would do everything they could to make the team as competitive as possible while remaining on the edge of the financial rules.” F_Wilso

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United could stand to benefit from the potential takeover of Premier League side Everton due to possible future transfer business with the Merseyside club. The Toffees have entered into a period of exclusivity with The Friedkin Group with a view to completing a takeover of the club from existing majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri. A statement on Friday afternoon read: "The Club can confirm today [21 June] that a period of exclusivity has been granted to The Friedkin Group to progress discussions to acquire a majority shareholding in Everton. "All parties will now work together to conclude this process. In the meantime, the Club will continue to operate as normal." Moshiri's running of Everton has been criticised by supporters given the club's eight-point deduction last season after breaching Profitability and Sustainability (P&S) regulations. The Toffees exceeded the Premier League's £105 million financial loss threshold o

Leeds United tried to get a big-money move agreed for Michael Cuisance only to see it fall down It was one of the big transfer stories of the summer of 2020 as Leeds United prepared for their return to the Premier League, would the Whites get an £18m deal over the line for Michael Cuisance. The then Bayern Munich player had been linked with Leeds for months with growing expectation during the delayed summer window due to Covid, that Cuisance would be a high-profile addition to Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds ranks. A France under-20 international with a growing reputation at Bayern, the central midfielder was seen as just what Bielsa needed in the middle of the park. Then, with all expectation a deal would be done, Cuisance signed for Marseille on loan and it felt like a potentially important player had got away. Now, it turns out that was not the case. There had been speculation at the time the Frenchman had failed his medical at Leeds and that is why the Whites stepped away from the

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United look set to lose Jack Harrison on loan again. The Yorkshire Evening Post’s chief football writer Graham Smyth had his say on Jack Harrison’s imminent loan return to Everton on this week’s Inside Elland Road podcast, with Leeds United writer Joe Donnohue highlighting the positives of his exit. Harrison has all but sealed a second season-long loan spell at Everton, having triggered an exit clause in his contract following relegation at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. That clause is thought to remain active, following United’s failure to achieve promotion, with the Toffees not paying any loan fee but covering the winger’s full wages. The deal has brought those loan clauses back into the mind of Leeds supporters, with the club still suffering as a result of agreements made by previous decision-makers. And speaking on the most recent podcast, Smyth was critical of the situation in which Harrison was nearly sold last January. Read the full transcript fr

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United sold the winger to Tottenham for £10m back in 2019. Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson has suggested a return to Elland Road for Jack Clarke would represent great business - so long as interested Premier League sides don’t get there first. Clarke has attracted continued interest from the top-flight after a best-ever individual season at Sunderland, with 15 goals and four assists in 40 Championship appearances enough to earn him the club’s Player of the Season award. West Ham United were thought to be keen on a move in January and reports earlier this week have named the Hammers as a potential suitor once again. Sunderland rejected a £10million bid from Burnley for Clarke last summer and are thought to want around £15m this time round, owing to his excellent season at the Stadium of Light. Whether West Ham, or anyone else for that matter, would be willing to meet that price remains to be seen but Grayson has suggested those in charge at Ellan

By Nancy Froston There is an element of waiting for things to fall into place this summer for Leeds United. Discussions are happening with returning loan players. This has seen Brenden Aaronson come back into the fold, while Jack Harrison is close to rejoining Everton. The rumour mill continues to swirl around Leeds’ saleable assets in Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and others — but nothing has yet reached the stage of a serious offer. But when players arrive at the start of July for pre-season testing, they will do so in a more settled environment than existed last summer — even with anticipated departures. Some players heading out and some coming in is normal for the summer period. It presents a stable foundation for Daniel Farke to transmit his ideas and fine-tune a squad he will believe can win promotion from the Championship next season. A year ago, after relegation from the Premier League, Leeds’ retained list was announced. Tyler Roberts, Joel Robles and Adam Forsh

Lewis Bate has signed a three-year contract with Stockport County in League One with his Leeds United contract expiring on June 30 Outgoing Leeds United midfielder Lewis Bate has secured his future with a three-year contract agreed at League Two champions Stockport County. The 21-year-old’s contract at Elland Road will expire at the end of this month, after a three-year stay, and he has found a permanent new home in League One. The Hatters have been on a meteoric rise in recent years. Dave Challinor’s side won National League North, in the sixth tier, just five years ago, but will enter the third tier for the first time since 2010 from August. Bate’s exit was confirmed with the publication of United’s recent retained list. The former Chelsea youth departs West Yorkshire with five first-team appearances to his name and one precious Premier League start. Jesse Marsch gave Bate his full top-flight debut in an Elland Road clash against Chelsea, ironically, as they fought against re

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United do not expect to make a loss on midfielder Marc Roca’s sale to Real Betis, despite reportedly accepting a £5 million reduction on the initial fee paid for the ex-Bayern Munich midfielder. Reports in Spain claim Leeds United have been negotiated down to a transfer fee worth 'less than £4.3 million' in Marc Roca's permanent switch to Real Betis. Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo claim Real Betis chiefs are pleased with negotiations for central midfielder Roca as they have been able to talk Leeds down from their initial asking price of £10 million this summer. Had the Whites been promoted back to the Premier League, Roca's asking price is likely to have remained the same which may have complicated matters regarding his return to Seville after spending the season on loan there last term. However, Leeds remaining in the second tier of English football meant the LaLiga club had the option to extend Roca's loan by a further season, or

By Tom Coates Leeds United winger Jack Harrison is reportedly close to joining Everton on loan for a second consecutive season. The 27-year-old was among the players who left Leeds on loan last summer, taking advantage of relegation clauses that allowed for temporary exits. Despite starting the 2023/24 season injured, he soon became a key figure for the Toffees. He now appears set to return to Goodison Park, with The Athletic claiming he is close to making a second loan move to the club. The report claims that while the deal is not done, it is expected there will be no loan fee. Instead, Everton will cover Harrison’s wages completely for the duration of his loan spell. The winger, a former England under-21 international, is reportedly keen on a return to Merseyside. Harrison initially joined Leeds on loan in 2018, making the move from Manchester City ahead of Marcelo Bielsa’s first season at the helm. He went on to spend three seasons on loan at Elland Road before he was sign

By Adam Crafton Weston McKennie summons the pain, transporting his mind to December 2022 and the United States men’s national team’s round-of-16 exit from the World Cup against the Netherlands. “In a tournament,” he explains, “You have a lot of hope, and within the team, we are family. These are people you grow up with, sharing the same dreams, pushing each other, holding each other accountable and you build a bond. There are photos of us after the game up in the stands crying with our families and crying with each other. “(The World Cup cycle) is like going to college with a buddy for four years. You make it to graduation and realise we’re going to go our separate ways — you’re going to have your life, I’m going to have my life. But in this case, we have another shot at this and we’re going to do everything that we can to not feel this same way again. You have the World Cup, Olympics and Copa America — they are the big tournaments. And Copa is one where we can showcase what we’v

By Joe Donnohue Defender Max Wober says he has been told to focus on the European Championships with Austria by Leeds United who plan to conduct talks over his future once the tournament is over. Wober made headlines for all the wrong reasons earlier this week as Austria went down 1-0 to Didier Deschamps' France in their Euro 2024 opener, courtesy of the central defender's headed own goal. The 26-year-old was also cautioned during the match for a late challenge on Ousmane Dembele and substituted on 59 minutes, capping a difficult night for the Austrian in Dusseldorf. Speaking to German outlet BILD, the player says his Elland Road future remains unresolved but that talks are planned to once-and-for-all come to a decision on where he will play his football next season. “There is currently total radio silence on both sides,” he said. “I’ve heard from Leeds that there will be talks once the European Championships are over. They want me to concentrate on Austria for now.

By Nancy Froston Had the Premier League table for the 2022-23 season been arranged based on commercial income, Leeds United would have been a lot happier. They could have qualified for Europe. Only the so-called ‘Big Six’ outperformed them on shirt sales, sponsorship revenue and other partnerships. Let the tongue-in-cheek chanting of, ‘Biggest commercial revenue outside the top six, you’ll never sing that’ start now. But while the concept of league tables based on anything but the football itself can feel a bit inane, revenue matters more and more in modern football. This is a money game and clubs who bring in higher revenue can spend more on players. More often than not, they also attract more investment. Leeds, to their credit, are very good at the commercial side of things. They have been for some time. It is part of what attracted 49ers Enterprises to take ownership of the club. It appealed to Red Bull in its recent investment, too. Being associated with Leeds is big busi

By Graham Smyth Ex-Leeds United man Tyler Adams says he still resonates 'unbelievably well' with Whites fans, whether they hate him or not. When Leeds suffered relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season and 49ers Enterprises completed a takeover from Andrea Radrizzani, the new men in charge set their hearts on retaining a small number of key players. Adams was one of those. The midfielder could play no part in pre-season due to a season-ending hamstring injury he first picked up in March and so spent his time in rehabilitation at Thorp Arch while Daniel Farke build a new-look team. Leeds believed they tried everything in their might to convince Adams to stay and fight for promotion back to the top flight and also expressed confidence that the expiration of his release clause would mean his retention. But by August 20 he was a Bournemouth player. A deal in excess of £20m sent him straight back to the Premier League without the club that brought him t

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United defender Diego Llorente is no longer wanted by AS Roma boss Daniele De Rossi, according to reports in Italy. The Spanish defender has spent the past 18 months at Stadio Olimpico, representing the Italian side on 54 occasions, but remains contracted at Leeds until the summer of 2026. Llorente was in line to complete a permanent move to the Serie A club this summer, but reports in the Italian press now claim Giallorossi boss De Rossi no longer seeks the 30-year-old's services in 2024/25. According to Il Messaggero, 2006 FIFA World Cup winner De Rossi has performed a U-turn with regards to his transfer decisions this summer and could shake up the defensive options at his disposal following the departure of previous sporting director Tiago Pinto, who signed off on Llorente's arrival. Florian Ghisolfi has assumed the sporting directorship role at Roma as of four weeks ago, prior to which it had been heavily suggested the club would complete a p

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United's recruitment of promising, up-and-coming youngsters has ground to a halt over the past 12 months. Following promotion to the Premier League four years ago, Leeds took their youth recruitment activity to the next level, ambitiously adding the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Cody Drameh to the club's Under-21 setup, whilst committing fees in the low millions to their signings - a practice typically employed by only the very top clubs in English football with abundant resources. While the aforementioned quartet have had varying degrees of success at Elland Road, the club's attempts to follow up on their acquisitions of summer 2020 has proved largely fruitless in comparison. Drameh appears set to leave this summer, while Greenwood and Gelhardt don't quite appear to fit in Farke's plans; Summerville's development and subsequent receipt of last season's Championship Player of the Year award, meanw

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United defender Max Wober made headlines during Austria's Euro 2024 opener against France - but for all the wrong reasons. Wober started the game for Ralf Rangnick's side at the Düsseldorf Arena in Germany, playing as the left-sided centre-back and managed to keep a star-studded France side at bay for the majority of the first half. Shortly before half-time, though, Wober had the misfortune of heading Kylian Mbappe's cross into his own net beyond goalkeeper Patrick Pentz to give Les Bleus the lead. The moment represented a cruel irony given Wober's reasoning for leaving Elland Road on loan last summer to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach. The 26-year-old posted a message to Leeds supporters on social media last July after his move had been confirmed, stating it was his desire to be selected for the European Championships that motivated his decision to depart West Yorkshire following relegation, just six months on from joining the c

By Will Jackson Leeds United look set to receive a six-figure sum due to their players' involvement at Euro 2024 this summer. Just one member of last season's Leeds squad has travelled to the tournament, with captain Liam Cooper a part of Steve Clarke's Scotland squad. The defender didn't get on the pitch on Friday night as Scotland were well-beaten by hosts Germany and it remains to be seen if he will be involved in upcoming fixtures against Hungary and Switzerland with Scotland having it all to do in order to progress. However, his presence at the tournament is enough to ensure Leeds will receive compensation from UEFA this summer. The governing body will pay a fee to clubs for the use of players in the tournament as part of the Club Benefits Programme and according to the Edinburgh Evening News, Cooper's involvement in Germany will be worth a minimum of £140,000 to Leeds, with every club receiving the same amount for a player’s involvement in the group stag

By Will Jackson Leeds United have reportedly slapped a €15m price tag on Max Wober as the defender approaches what can only be described as an uncertain summer. Wober spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach after choosing to leave Leeds rather than represent the club in the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League. The defender was a regular with Gladbach and made 27 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and setting up three more. As such, Die Fohlen were said to be keen on signing Wober permanently this summer in a move that would end his spell in West Yorkshire and give him the opportunity to play top flight football once more next season. However, according to Bild, the club will be looking to receive a sizeable fee for the 26-year-old and there are doubts about whether Gladbach would be able to pay it. It means that as it stands Wober faces the possibility of returning to Leeds in the summer, unsure of his next step.

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United have been linked with interest in the Tottenham midfielder who played under Daniel Farke at Norwich City. 49ers Enterprises got a lot right during their first year in sole charge of Leeds United but might look back on their use of the loan market and wonder what might have been. Four players found a temporary home at Elland Road last season but only one was a resounding success, with Joe Rodon travelling up from Tottenham Hotspur to become a pillar of Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing side. The decision to sign Jaidon Anthony on loan from Bournemouth was one taken quickly and in the wake of Luis Sinisterra’s late move the other way, while Connor Roberts’ January arrival came only as a result of Djed Spence being sent back to Spurs early. All three showed hints of the quality that attracted Leeds but, for their own reasons, none played a major role in the season. A look at those around them would suggest Leeds did not exploit the loan market to good

Felipe Cardenas They have a joint-record 15 Copa America titles to their name and Marcelo Bielsa at the helm. There’s more than one reason why Uruguay are expected to go all the way in the United States this summer… The manager There are only a few managers at Copa America 2024 that need no introduction. Marcelo Bielsa is someone who is universally known for his mercurial personality and stubborn tactical philosophy. The 68-year-old, who revolutionized Chile’s national team and became a hero to Leeds United supporters, now holds the keys to one of South America’s most promising squads. When Bielsa accepted the Uruguay job just over a year ago, he did so knowing that the small country (population: 3.4million; less than Los Angeles) that borders his homeland of Argentina could be on the brink of newfound glory. But nothing comes easy in South American football. Uruguay suffered through some growing pains at the start of Bielsa’s tenure but back-to-back wins over Brazil and