Leeds United spent £25million to sign Brenden Aaronson from Red Bull Salzburg in 2022, but his loan move to Union Berlin this season has essentially proved to be the end of his time with the club.
It’s hard to keep track of the loan players that Leeds have on their books right now, given the sheer quantity of them that headed out.
Some are doing a lot better than others, and one struggling is Brenden Aaronson, who has seen his Union Berlin side lose their opening two Champions League fixtures.
How has Brenden Aaronson played?
Like we saw from Aaronson’s time at Leeds, he’s full of energy right now playing in the Bundesliga, but there’s little substance to it so far.
A Champions League fixture in midweek saw a thrilling encounter with Braga, as the two underdogs slugged it out at the controversially utilised Olympiastadion (home of Hertha Berlin), where the away side snatched victory in added time.
Aaronson had the chance to win the game off the bench when he got on the end of a cross six yards out, only to head wide with the goal gaping.
Will he come back to Leeds?
The Athletic’s Phil Hay has now shared that his loan move with the German outfit is not being used as a means to restore his ability to hopefully integrate him back into the Leeds squad in 24/25.
Instead, the plan remains the same as when they paid £25million for him in 2022, with the aim to see his value rise to the point of making significant profit:
“There is little value for Leeds in the status quo continuing there because Aaronson was one of the players they wanted to aid them financially further down the line; that irrespective of whether he ever returned to play for United again, a good year abroad would enhance his value and avoid the scenario the club faced in the last window where any permanent transfer would have resulted in a loss on the fee they paid to RB Salzburg for Aaronson in 2022.”
Not many fans would have welcomed back Aaronson before this sort of insight was shared by Hay, but it makes even more sense never to see him set foot back in Elland Road, knowing he is one of the players the club hopes to make a decent return on.
His form at present isn’t indicating that Leeds’ money was invested at all wisely, but at 22 and still adapting to life in top-flight football, there’s every chance he could string together enough performances and develop enough to be worth the gamble.
Breaking even would be a result at this point.