Journalist Beren Cross shares whether Leeds stars will be offered new contracts
Several Leeds United stars will see their current contracts expire at the end of the season, with long-serving duo Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling among them, while a new deal for Lewis Bate has been described as “highly unlikely” by Beren Cross via Leeds Live.
The journalist shared updates on the players with expiring contracts on 13 September, suggesting Ayling and Cooper will have to earn new deals based on their performances throughout the season, but a long wait could cause issues.
Cross also writes that it was a surprise to see Bate remain at Elland Road beyond the transfer deadline, as he will likely only feature at academy level. He turns 21 this year and looks unlikely to reach the potential tipped of him previously.
Deals will have to be earned
If one thing was made clear by this report, it is that this crop of players will have to earn their new deals, and they won’t be handed out simply due to status in the squad. For Cooper and Ayling specifically, this could create some uncertainty around their futures.
Ayling has been a surprise package so far this season, with his performances at right-back showing new strengths with his overlapping runs causing plenty of issues for their opponents, although questions still remain over his defensive ability.
In Bate’s case, it seems unlikely he will remain at Elland Road beyond this season, despite the high hopes around him when he joined from Chelsea just two years ago.
Stuart Dallas, Jamie Shackleton, Sam Byram and Ian Poveda will also see their deals expire at the end of the season, with each of them looking to play their way into Farke’s future plans.
Dallas is a slight exception, with his long-term injury keeping him out for a number of months, but it is suggested the club will stand by him as they did Gaetano Berardi and Adam Forshaw who suffered similar injury issues.
In other Leeds United news, a new injury update has emerged ahead of the clash with Millwall.