Max Wober to make late Leeds United exit again after snub despite claims to Daniel Farke
Max Wober may not be as committed to Leeds United as Daniel Farke thinks and another sudden exit isn’t off the table, says Graham Smyth.
The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist said on the Inside Elland Road podcast on 8 August that although the manager is “buying it” he is not convinced by the Austrian after his return from Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.
In contrast to Brenden Aaronson ahead of his own return from Union Berlin Wober refused to face questions from journalists in Germany, leaving open the possibility that he could still leave like he did last summer since he isn’t slated to start as things stand.
Farke has revealed that a talk with the defender in his office has “totally convinced” him that he wants to stay and work to win over the fans [Yorkshire Evening Post, 8 August].
But Smyth said: “Farke’s buying it, but I’m not. The reason for that is… from the Bundesliga and the Euros to the bench in the Championship… he didn’t want it, so why does he suddenly want it?
“In Germany the club offered Brenden Aaronson the chance to speak to local press and explain himself and he said ‘yeah, I’ll do it’… and fair play to him. I’m convinced that he actually does want to be at Leeds.
“Max Wober had the chance to speak to us in Germany and he declined, he didn’t want to do it, so that makes me wonder why.”
Brenden Aaronson wants to be at Leeds United, Max Wober doubts
Wober isn’t the most popular figure in Leeds these days after he seemingly indicated to Farke that he was ready to stay for the Championship campaign after relegation a year ago [Leeds Live] and then disappeared to Germany anyway.
The obvious answer as to why he might want to stay and face being stuck behind Pascal Struijk, Joe Rodon and Junior Firpo is that he hasn’t got any better options right now.
There is not believed to be an active release clause in his contract this summer [Leeds Live, 10 July] so a departure will not be in his hands as it was previously.
Fans might wait to see it to believe it on that front when both Archie Gray and Crycensio Summerville were sold thanks to miraculously-appearing clauses.
But Monchegladbach have tried to keep him over the past year but can’t afford the Whites asking price of up to £10million [Kicker, 29 May].
So without any viable takers Wober has probably seen what a stand-out year in the second tier has done for the likes of Gray and Summerville and decided it is his best option, but if he has changed his mind before when something better emerged it can’t be ruled out that he would do it again until the window shuts.
In other Leeds United news, another big-money exit has collapsed after the bid was rejected at Elland Road.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.