Credit: Imago

Richie Mills

Mon 20 April 2026 11:40, UK

Sebastiaan Bornauw seems primed to head for a Leeds United exit this summer after failing to come off the bench against lowly Wolves on Saturday.

Bornauw was signed from Wolfsburg for around £5million last summer to bolster Leeds’ defensive options after promotion.

So far, he has been a back-up option for Daniel Farke, with Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, Pascal Struijk, and James Justin ahead of him in the centre-back pecking order.

The 27-year-old has made nine Premier League appearances this term, starting just four of them.

Bornauw was an unused substitute for their win over Wolves on Saturday, suggesting a Leeds transfer departure is in the offing.

Joe Rodon preferred over Sebastiaan Bornauw

Bornauw had to wait until early December for his first Premier League minutes, when he came off the bench late on in a win over Chelsea.

His first league start came in a goalless draw with Liverpool on New Year’s Day, but it’s been more than two months since he last played in the English top-flight.

Bornauw has been an unused substitute in the league for seven straight games, but did get over an hour in Leeds’ FA Cup quarter-final win over West Ham on 5 April.

However, that was down to Rodon picking up an ankle injury at London Stadium.

Moreover, Rodon was a surprise inclusion on the bench for Leeds against Wolves, and despite not being 100 per cent fit, the Welshman was still preferred to Bornauw when he came on in the 96th minute.

It mattered little for Leeds as they went eight points clear of the relegation zone, but that is not a good sign for the defender.

Where will his next minutes come from? Perhaps if Farke rotates heavily for Wednesday’s trip to Bournemouth, with an eye on their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on Sunday, he could face the Cherries.

But at this rate, he may have played his last game.

Leeds want to avoid unwanted record

In the build-up to the Wolves game, Farke stressed that he wanted to dispel the notion that Leeds are a side that crumbles under pressure.

Indeed, Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is often sung by rival fans whenever Leeds ‘fall apart’, while Whites supporters have tried to take ownership of the chant when they are winning.

Right now, though, this Leeds team does not look like one that is going to falter in its bid to stay up. They are eight points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham with five matches to play.

If they did go down from here, they would set an unwanted record.

But the manner of Leeds’ win over Wolves, off the back of their vital victory at Manchester United last Monday, has put Farke’s team within touching distance of safety.

One more win should guarantee their survival, but there could be more twists and turns along the way.

With that, it could spell the end for many players, including Bornauw.