Ilia Gruev exit ‘could be months away’ at Leeds United after new admission
Leeds United midfielder Ilia Gruev’s latest admission could pave the way for his exit at Elland Road in a few months.
Gruev joined Leeds from Werder Bremen in 2023, becoming an important part of the Championship side’s midfield.
The Bulgaria international made 35 appearances last season and has clocked 1163 minutes in the Championship this term.
Gruev recently won the second-best Bulgarian player award for 2024 as he continues to excel at Elland Road.
However, the 24-year-old has made a strong admission regarding his future that could see him leave Leeds United.
Gruev dreams of Premier League football
Gruev has been a reliable midfielder for Daniel Farke’s side as well as for the Bulgaria national football team. He’s currently on international duty, with Bulgarians playing Ireland in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.
While away from the club, he spoke to media outlet Sport1 where he highlighted his desire to play in the Premier League.
He said: “The goal now is to move up with Leeds. The Premier League would be an absolute dream for me. I want to play in the best league in the world. I find the Bundesliga very attractive, but I would like to prove myself further in England.”
Leeds United are currently on top of the Championship table with 80 points and are in the driver’s seat to secure automatic Premier League promotion. However, the fight for the promotion is extremely tight and any lapses in concentration could see Leeds drop out of the automatic promotion race.
Farke’s side are level on points with Sheffield United with eight games to go. Burnley are not too far behind as they are third with 78 points. With wafer-thin margins between all three clubs, the two automatic promotion spots are up for grabs.
Leeds were on a 17-game unbeaten run which was brought to an end by Portsmouth. In recent weeks, the West Yorkshire side has faltered, managing just one win in the last four games. If Farke’s side continues to drop points, they could soon be ousted from the Premier League promotion spots and demoted to the play-off places.
Leeds missed out on promotion last season as they lost the Championship play-off final to Southampton. If Leeds fails to get promoted this season too, they run the risk of players like Gruev leaving for Premier League football.
The 24-year-old has made it clear that he wants to play in the Premier League and although his mission is to do that with Leeds, he may have no choice but to leave in the summer if the Whites do not get promoted.
Promotion race to go down the wire
With the top three teams in the Championship separated by just two points, the race for promotion is about to get very intense in the final eight rounds of the league. With tricky fixtures for each side and possible injury concerns, the race for promotion has become even more exciting.
All Leeds needs to do is continue winning games and retain their top spot in the table. However, it is easier said than done.
Post the international break, Leeds will host Swansea City, whereas rivals Sheffield United will play Coventry City at Bramall Lane.