Daniel Farke won’t want to let Sam Byram walk away from Leeds this summer
Some players bring an unseen value to their football club, and Sam Byram is one of those for Leeds.
Leeds‘ Premier League survival chances are looking good this season, with Daniel Farke‘s side sitting 15th and six points above the relegation zone.
Many predicted the Whites to suffer the same fate as most newly-promoted sides from the Championship this term, and that is an instant return to the second tier, but the Elland Road outfit have more than held their own.
And so, should they see through the rest of the campaign and ensure their top flight status for 2026-27, Farke’s playing squad could be looking forward to some significant investment heading its way this summer.
Daniel Farke has already made it clear he will want to keep Sam Byram
As a result of that, it could well be time for some of the veterans of this squad to be moved on from, and one of those might be Byram.
Now 32, the versatile defender is out of contract at the end of the season, having re-joined Leeds in the summer of 2023 after leaving Norwich.
Byram is a product of Leeds’ academy system, and has proven himself to be a classy and quality full-back at both Championship and Premier League level down the years.
But, with players like Gabriel Gudmundsson, James Justin and Jayden Bogle now for company, the experienced defender may no longer have a place in the first-team picture in West Yorkshire.
However, speaking in an interview via The Yorkshire Post in January of this year, Farke has already made it clear just how important Byram is to Leeds, and how highly he regards having him around the place.
“Everyone knows how much I love and really value Sam Byram,” said Farke, who also had him at Norwich City in between his two stints with Leeds.
“It’s tough to not have him on the pitch more often, or sometimes even in the squad. It’s just due to what good progress we have made, especially in the full-back or wing-back positions.
“I think it’s due to the quality of Jayden Bogle – who was a top player for us already last season, a bit ahead of Sam – and the signing of Gabi Gudmundsson. James Justin was excellent again on Wednesday and in the last games.
“But for me he’s still a key player in the group because he holds the quality in training so high and keeps the pressure high on players like Jayden, Gabi and James to deliver. His professionalism is outstanding and he’s a role model.
“Sam is a perfect role model and fulfills his role in a perfect manner.”
Leeds should leave decision up to Byram
Byram has given a lot to Leeds United over the years.
Having first turned out for the first-team in the 2012-13 season, he played a big part in helping the team win promotion to the Premier League last term, making 36 Championship appearances in 2024-25.
And as Farke points out, it’s perhaps the parts of having Byram in the team that Leeds fans aren’t always privy to that is where his true value lies right now, as every dressing room needs experience and leaders.
So, Leeds should be happy to let Byram pretty much decide his Elland Road future this summer. If he wants to leave to play football, he’s got every right to, if he wants to stay and sign a new deal, brilliant.
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