Ilia Gruev exit: Leeds receive approaches to sell Bulgaria star in summer
Ilia Gruev has struggled for game time this season at Leeds United.
The Bulgarian midfielder has struggled with injuries and has fallen behind the likes of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell in the pecking order.
He has been restricted to 19 Championship appearances this season with Daniel Farke handing him 16 starts in the league.
The Whites look set to secure promotion to the Premier League and Gruev could be surplus to requirements depending on what upgrades are made to the Elland Road squad.
Gruev looks set to stay at Leeds
Despite the potential for increased competition in the engine room, Gruev looks set to stay in Yorkshire if the Peacocks are promoted.
A report from TEAMtalk (16 April) claims that several clubs have approached Farke’s side to enquire about the services of the 24-year-old.
However, it states that the Bulgaria international will not consider any offers if Leeds are a top-flight team next season.
The report alleges that the only circumstance in which he would be willing to depart is if the Whites fail to get promoted, which looks unlikely at the moment.
Leeds can use Gruev next season
It seems that Gruev will embrace the challenge of fighting for a place in the team rather than jumping ship for regular first-team football.
The Whites can utilise his talents in the top tier as he has shown that he is very capable when fit enough to feature.
| Stats (Championship) | Gruev |
| Matches | 19 |
| Starts | 16 |
| Pass Accuracy | 90.1% |
| Ground duels won | 56 (50.9%) |
| Minutes played | 1341 |
Liam Cooper recently labelled him as the ‘Bulgarian Busquets’ after the 2-1 win over Preston (12 April) and his impact will be crucial as Leeds chase a return to the elite level.
The Whites have just four games left and lead the Championship table with three fixtures against bottom-half teams and one against playoff-chasing Bristol City (28 April).
They may also benefit from Sheffield United and Burnley still having to play each other, as at least one of their promotion rivals will take points from each other.
Farke’s side look to have gotten over their poor run of form and look set to return to the big time for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign, they just need to hold their nerve in the final few weeks.