(Credit: Imago)

Richie Mills

Sat 28 March 2026 18:10, UK

Mateo Joseph’s current plight is indicative of a trend of Leeds United players who promised much but didn’t deliver.

Joseph joined Leeds from Espanyol’s academy on a three-year deal in January 2022, and that season he went on to make six appearances in all competitions for the first team.

He was prolific in Leeds’ under-21s, alongside fellow highly-rated forward and 2022 summer recruit Sonny Perkins – who was the subject of a tribunal battle with West Ham over his transfer fee.

Just before the 18-year-old signed for Leeds, the Yorkshire team also snapped up coveted teenage midfielder Darko Gyabi from Manchester City for £5million.

What do all three of these Leeds transfers have in common? They didn’t make the grade at Leeds, with Joseph currently struggling on loan at Mallorca in La Liga.

Leeds should have taken Mateo Joseph offer

In the winter window of 2025, Leeds reportedly rejected an offer of £10m from Real Betis for Joseph.

Six months later, Joseph made it clear he wanted to leave Leeds, as he wasn’t happy with his lack of game time. That was despite him scoring just three goals in 41 matches as they won the Championship last season.

Joseph started the 2024-25 Championship season as Leeds’ first-choice striker, ahead of Joel Piroe, after an impressive pre-season campaign.

Fast forward to the present, and the 22-year-old has scored two goals and added three assists in 28 La Liga games for Mallorca.

Despite his lowly return, which has mirrored his Leeds numbers, Spain Under-21 international Joseph has still started 19 matches this term.

Joseph had potential but didn’t deliver on it. Gyabi spent the last two seasons on loan at Plymouth Argyle before joining Hull City permanently in 2025. A wasted signing.

Perkins is barely getting a game at League One Leyton Orient, another swing and a miss. Leeds signed Joseph for a modest fee. It would be good to cash in on him for their PSR situation.

This is another example of former director of football Victor Orta’s muddled thinking when it came to youngsters.

No way back for Joseph at Leeds?

Joseph said earlier this month that he wants to extend his stay at Mallorca, but he still has more than two years left on his Leeds contract.

When asked about his future, he said: “I’d like to continue being happy here. When you’re happy somewhere, why change?

“It doesn’t depend much on me because I have a contract with another club. We’ll see what the future holds for me.”

If he does return to Leeds, he will be behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha at the very least.

It is unlikely that he would want to be a benchwarmer at LS11, and a parting of the ways seems inevitable at Leeds.