Leeds United: Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde now just days away from Elland Road exit after recent Phil Hay update
Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde are both surely now just days away from ending their Elland Road nightmare with Leeds United very open to their exits in January.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay, writing in his article on 21 December shared that the Whites are open to selling the two youngsters at the club neither of whom are in Daniel Farke’s thinking at the club both now and in future.
The two players have four senior appearances between them so far this campaign and are currently on the fringes of Farke’s squad with the possibility of being given new opportunities elsewhere in just a matter of days.
Hay wrote: “In contrast, United are very open to interest in Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde, neither of whom is in the picture at all. Bate’s deal is six months from ending.”
It now seems as if Leeds United are open to cleaning house in the January transfer window it is desperately needed with so many players on the fringes of the squad under Farke and several loan stars whose futures need sorting.
Bate and Hjelde have never looked like breaking into the team at Leeds despite their young ages and possible potential and given the stages of their careers, are in real need of first-team chances elsewhere.
Hjelde hasn’t been seen in the Leeds United first team since the opening weekend of the Championship season, where he started the 2-2 draw with Cardiff City at left-back before being hooked by Farke at half-time after a dreadful first half.
There was a lot of speculation surrounding the Norwegian’s future during the summer transfer window, with Salernitana one club reportedly interested in signing him permanently, but the Whites were reluctant to allow him to depart because of the lack of options at left-back [Cronache, 11 August].
However, that decision now appears to have been a mistake as it is clear that Farke doesn’t consider the 20-year-old to be an option on the left of defence even despite the injury suffered by Sam Byram.
Leeds did pay big money for Bate from Chelsea though, so there may be a wish to push him along themselves, with the player himself said to be desperate for an exit strategy in January.
It certainly seems as if it is the best route possible for all parties to go their different directions in the winter.
It will be refreshing and now incredibly likely that the Whites will gain a reasonable fee for both players, especially someone like Bate who is heading into the last six months of his current deal at Elland Road.
It certainly won’t be a great look for the club’s owners 49er Enterprises to wait until the end of the campaign to seal an exit for the player who could end up leaving for nothing.
In other Leeds United news, Junior Firpo may have a chance to save his own career at Elland Road.