Anthony Onifade

Sat 8 July 2023 19:10, UK

Leeds United defender Max Wober has made it clear he wants to stay and fight for the club in the Championship handing Daniel Farke a huge boost already after his appointment on Tuesday (4 July).

The 25-year-old only made the switch to West Yorkshire in the January transfer window from Red Bull Salzburg, and his future was already “unclear”, with suitors likely to have emerged this summer following the Whites’ relegation from the Premier League. [Leeds Live, 8 June]

Wober admitted during the international break that he was glad to be away from Elland Road given the uncertainty surrounding the club, comments which may have plunged his immediate future at the club into further doubt.

However, in a promising new twist at Elland Road, the Austrian international has decided to stick at it in West Yorkshire, despite the expected player exodus at the club.

According to Leeds Live [6 July] Wober is understood to have made it clear he wants to play on in the second tier and assuming unforeseen interest does not materialise, he will be a strong candidate for starting regularly in the Championship.

With Leeds United set to lose several of their key stars and leaders in the dressing room this summer, it is absolutely imperative that Farke maintained some familiarity within the playing staff after his arrival and this Wober development is such a huge boost for the German boss and Leeds United as a whole.

The Austrian will have certainly been forgiven for jumping ship after the club’s relegation, given over a year ago, he was plying his trade in the UEFA Champions League for Salzburg before he moved to Leeds in January.

What seemed to have changed Wober’s decision about remaining at the club is unknown but the appointment of Farke at the helm could well have been a major factor, and the coming campaign could well see both parties form a strong and reliable alliance as the club look for a swift return to the Premier League next season.

Hopefully, the German’s influence in pre-season training in the coming days can look to have the same crucial effect on other players who wish to leave Elland Road this summer.

But for now, Farke has been given a decent start to his tenure amongst the expected revolving doors in his current squad and Wober’s commitment to his cause provides a great platform to build his new side from.

Despite only arriving in the winter window, the Austrian quickly took up a leadership role and looked at home immediately in the relentless and fast-paced Premier League.

And the stats certainly prove as much, averaging 1.7 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, a whopping 4.0 clearances and only dribbled past just 0.5 times per game, pitting him arguably as the best-performing Leeds United defender, as per [SofaScore].

With Robin Koch having departed Elland Road back to his native Germany, Wober’s decision has been made all the more crucial for the club and with a testing and unforgiving Championship campaign to come, the Whites will be desperate for his leadership, aggression and mentality to ensure they are competing near the top end of the table.

In other Leeds United news, the announcement of the 49ers Enterprises’ full takeover is expected to go through before the club can start making “major” moves in the market.