Right-back Luke Ayling and winger Ian Poveda of Leeds United are being pursued by their current loan clubs for permanent moves, and two more players who are not under contract will undoubtedly follow them out of the club.
This season, Leeds sent out a lot of players on loan, however only a small number of those players were under the terms of the club because of provisions added to the squad’s contracts following relegation.
Apart from the individuals that abandoned the club, five others departed to join others in the Championship, probably with the intention of establishing a reputation for themselves and gaining permanent release.
Iav Poveda wanted by Sheffield Wednesday, Luke Ayling wanted by Middlesbrough
Although Ian Poveda only made 10 appearances and missed the final five games of the season, he became a fan favorite under Danny Rohl despite joining Sheffield Wednesday in the midst of serious relegation jeopardy in January.
In light of their second season back in the Championship and their survival on the last day of the playoffs, The Star revealed this week that the winger is a top target for the Owls.
Like Luke Ayling, who announced his heartfelt departure from the team in January, Poveda’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign and he would be free to sign elsewhere.
Following Middlesbrough’s season-ending match, it was made public that Ayling is already in negotiations to secure a long-term contract with the Teessiders that would keep him there following his loan period.
Liam Cooper and Jamie Shackleton surely set to leave too
Three more players, Jamie Shackleton, Sam Byram, and Liam Cooper, are still with the Leeds team but have contracts that end this summer.
The latter signed a one-year contract and has contributed well this season on both sides of the back four; therefore, if promotion isn’t achieved, Leeds may decide to extend his contract.
However, for the other two, it looks as though we’re looking at their final weeks as Leeds players.
For Cooper, a 10-year stint is a great innings for him at Elland Road, but his influence has dwindled significantly this season with Pascal Struijk and Ethan Ampadu preferred as left-sided centre-backs.
With Shackleton, it’s interesting because he was loved by Farke at the start of the season due to his versatility and ‘get on with it’ attitude after being exiled to Millwall last season.
Like Cooper though, Shackleton has found regular involvement hard to come by from the moment Leeds’ squad settled after August.
Add to this both players constantly struggled with injuries and all signs point to both moving on in the summer window when their deals expire.
