Leeds United sent several different players out on loan over the course of the season in order to give them the opportunity to play regularly. Experienced duo Helder Costa and Kiko Casilla, who were regulars in the promotion season, made the temporary switch to La Liga, while youngsters such as Alfie McCalmont and Ryan Edmondson earned moves to the Football League to gain valuable senior experience.
Cody Drameh then became the 11 th Leeds player to move on loan in January as he made it clear he was keen to go out and play regularly. It is fair to say that it has been a relatively mixed bag in terms of the success of each of the loans, with some playing far more football than others.
So with that in mind, here is a look at how each player fared over the course of the season and what their future at the club could look like.
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Cody Drameh – Cardiff City
Quite comfortably the most successful of any loanee this season is right-back Drameh, who made the switch to Cardiff in January. Drameh made 22 starts for the Bluebirds as he helped ease their relegation worries that were prominent during the first half of the season.
The 20-year-old has consistently received rave reviews from Cardiff boss Steve Morison, as he went onto scoop both player and young player of the year at their end of the season awards. He is now expected to stake a claim for the club’s first choice right back position next term, which he could have a free run at given Luke Ayling’s injury.
Helder Costa – Valencia
It looks unlikely that Valencia will be exercising the permanent option in the deal that took Helder Costa on loan for the season last summer. The 28-year-old scored no goals and registered just two assists in all competitions in Spain and was left out of the squad completely for the final two matches of the campaign.
Valencia agreed an option to buy of £17 million for Costa, though with their financial position, coupled with his lack of impact, means he will almost certainly be returning to Leeds. It is hard to see a way back for him at Elland Road, though.
Kiko Casilla – Elche
Another player who has struggled on loan in La Liga is Kiko Casilla, who joined Elche on a season long loan last summer. Casilla was dropped as first choice back in October after 12 appearances and did not regain his place until the final two matches of the season.
Reports have already emerged that Elche are unlikely to take up the option to buy this summer, which means a return to Leeds is on the cards. Casilla has one year left to run on his contract and a mutual parting of ways could be best for all parties here.
Ian Poveda – Blackburn Rovers
Ian Poveda went out on loan to Blackburn Rovers in the Championship with the aim of proving he has what it takes to cope with the demands of senior football. And he had very much started to do that until he suffered a serious ankle injury at the worst possible time.
Poveda had just scored his first professional goal in a man of the match performance against Sheffield United, before just a week later his season was brought to a halt. The 22-year-old was able to recover ahead of the end of the campaign – as he made two appearances – though another loan move could be the best option this season to regain full match sharpness.
Leif Davis – Bournemouth
Leif Davis has arguably been the unluckiest of all Leeds’ loanees this season, as only the excellent form of Bournemouth’s Jordan Zemura has prevented him from earning regular game time. Davis has impressed whenever he has been given the chance at the Cherries, though Zemura has remained Scott Parker’s first choice.
However, given he has only made just 12 league appearances all season, it appears as though Bournemouth will not be activating the permanent option in the deal with Davis already back training under Jesse Marsch. Whether he has done enough to stake a claim for a first team role at Leeds, though, remains to be seen.
Alfie McCalmont – Morecambe
After his excellent start to life on loan at Morecambe – where he found himself as a regular starter in midfield – Alfie McCalmont found game time much harder to come by in the second half of the season. In total, the 22-year-old match 26 league appearances for the Shrimps, 18 of which were from the start.
However, McCalmont started just three of the last 22 matches after falling out of favour following the return of Derek Adams as manager. Either another Football League loan, or a permanent parting of ways feels like the most likely scenario at this stage.
Ryan Edmondson – Fleetwood Town/Port Vale
After struggling for regular game time at League One side Fleetwood Town, Ryan Edmondson saw his loan spell cut short there in favour of a temporary switch to Port Vale. Edmondson has enjoyed a far more positive impact at Vale Park, netting three goals in nine starts.
The 21-year-old is now set for the League Two play-off final at Wembley this weekend, where they will face Mansfield Town. His earlier season struggles at Fleetwood, though, suggest that Edmondson may have found his level in League Two, as he possesses all the physical attributes needed to be a success in that division.
Mateusz Bogusz – UD Ibiza
Young Polish midfielder Mateusz Bogusz was enjoying a strong season at UD Ibiza until an ACL injury cut his season short in early January. Bogusz netted four goals and provided seven assists in 20 matches for the Spanish Second Division side.
The nature of this injury is likely to set him back a sustained period of time, but upon his return, perhaps a loan to the Championship would be a better indicator as to whether he has what it takes to make it at Leeds.
Laurens de Bock – Zulte Waregem
Laurens de Bock has not made an appearance for Leeds since March 2018, just two months after he joined the club from Club Brugge. His contract at Elland Road is finally set to expire this summer after several seasons out on loan.
De Bock has spent this campaign with Zulte Waregem, where he has made 28 appearances and become club captain. Reports have already emerged that he is set to sign permanently there.
Elia Caprile – Pro Patria
Prior to joining Pro Patria on a season long loan last summer, Elia Caprile penned a three-year contract extension at Leeds, suggesting they still have high hopes of a long term future for the goalkeeper. Caprile has started 36 matches for the Serie C – A side this season, though given the level of football he is playing at, another temporary switch away next term seems the most likely scenario at this stage.
Kun Temenuzhkov – Real Union
Another of the loan contingent who hasn’t really made the desired impact is attacker Kun Temenuzhkov. Kun has netted just three times in 25 appearances for Real Union over the course of the campaign, meaning it is very unlikely that the 22-year-old has a long-term future at Leeds, despite the high hopes the club had for him when he first arrived from Barcelona.
