Mateo Joseph ready to leave Leeds United as new bid rejected
Leeds United are still in the process of clearing out their squad, and several players are headed for the exit door.
Mateo Joseph could follow Junior Firpo out of Elland Road, while fellow attacker Patrick Bamford may also have no future at the club.
Leeds need to sign attacking players, with a striker a priority, and this would push Joseph further down the pecking order.
After a bright start last season, Joseph hardly featured in the second half of the campaign, and could now be set for a move back to Spain.
Leeds reject Real Betis offer for Joseph
Firpo returned to Real Betis on a free transfer, and Joseph could follow him there this summer as an offer has been made for the striker.
Diario De Sevilla has reported in its print edition (July 19, page 41) that Betis have made a loan offer with an option to buy for the 21-year-old, but this has been rejected.
Despite the rejection, Betis are still in talks over a potential move, with Leeds’ stance that they do not want to lose the forward.
| Leeds | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| Joseph | 11 | 3 | 3 |
Joseph himself wants to move to Betis and has told his camp that he is keen on a return to La Liga to join Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
A move could eventually happen in August, and this could take the form of a loan with no option to buy, if Leeds are still eager to keep Joseph in the long term.
Joseph could benefit from loan move
Joseph was a fixture in the starting XI at the beginning of last season, but lost his place in the side and did not start a single Championship match from December.
With Leeds targeting strikers including Rodrigo Muniz, Joseph is unlikely to feature much next season, and a loan move would benefit him.
However, the Spaniard is seen as a forward with a lot of potential, and losing him permanently could be frustrating for Leeds.
Joseph is keen on Betis, but may not be eager to return after any loan, and if he does join the Verdiblancos, he will be behind Cucho Hernandez and Cedric Bakambu in the pecking order.
A loan to Betis, therefore, makes little sense if there is a future for Joseph at Leeds, but a permanent move could see them profit if Joseph does not intend to return to Elland Road.
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