Max Wober appears to be the latest Leeds United player heading for the Whites exit and if any player doesn’t want to be there then I always think it’s best to get rid of them.
But obviously you hope that any departure is financially sound. Wober made a decent impression after signing for Leeds in the January transfer window, even though he arrived at the club in a dire situation which resulted in relegation.
In terms of tiny glimmers of positivity, you could possibly label him as one of those. But it’s par for the course if he departs. Leeds are a team that punched above their weight, fell short and are now back to the grim reality of what it is and where they find themselves in next season’s Championship. Consequently, they are at the mercy of teams that can pick players up and if someone like Wober wants to go, he goes.
I am not saying that in a naive ‘just get rid of them’ type of way because I understand the finances involved and the implications of the finances involved. But Leeds are going to need a proper squad mentality because it’s going to be really tough back where they spent such a long period of time in the country’s second tier.
They will be under no illusions that it’s going to be a really tough season and if there are any kinks in the chain with regards to players wanting out or not necessarily pulling away their weight then I do think it makes sense all around that the player should move on.
I understand the disappointment but this type of approach from a player can’t be anything new for any Leeds supporter, such is the nature of being a football fan. It’s disappointing and it’s inevitable but that’s just the way the game is.
Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca have already left the club on loan deals so the tally would be taken to six if Wober departs on loan.
But if truth be told, what have they done in a Leeds shirt? You can only judge what you have seen and who has been there and I totally get that. But your 25-goal-a-season striker has not left, your rock at the heart of the defence or your goalkeeper that has saved you ten or 15 points a season.
Yes, these players have contributed at times but Leeds are not getting rid of consistent performers. They are getting rid of people that they can get off the wage bill and also if they deem themselves to be better than Leeds in the Championship then good luck to them. It’s as simple as that.
As much as there is an emotion to investing in a footballer, it’s financial and a business proposition. Players are commodities and if they are deemed to be seeking to be elsewhere then see you later. On the other side of the coin, Leeds completed their first summer signing last week with the arrival of Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea and he already has 43 caps for Wales at just 22 years old.
He has got so much under his belt already experience wise and from what I have heard as well he is going to be a good part of the dressing room, a good teammate and not someone who is going to come in and cause too much bother or anything like that.
You are probably looking at the skillset of a player which is high and the quality of the player which is high and also the personality of the player that knows that you’ve got to come in and perform and knuckle down and be part of a Leeds side that hopefully bounces straight back with promotion.
Leeds have got him for £7m and that’s a good price for a young man of his age with the experience that he has got under his belt, absolutely. It ticks a lot of boxes but obviously the biggest box that he needs to tick is promotion at the end and a good season’s worth of performances. Time will tell with that but initially I think that is a very positive move for everyone involved.
We saw another ‘new’ face in Saturday’s friendly against Monaco in the return of Sam Byram who has been training with Leeds after his Norwich City release. He has had injuries and miles on the clock but the player that we know that Sam Byram can be would be a worthy addition to what Leeds can do.
Also, financially it might make more sense when you have got a player who is in a slightly different position and can’t come in and start commanding everything that they want. If Sam is looking to kickstart his career then a place that he knows all about and a club that would hopefully cater and care for his needs could potentially be the best place for him.