The summer transfer window slammed shut earlier this month and Leeds United’s attention may have already turned to contract talks. Leeds have a handful of players approaching the end of their current deals this season and decisions will made in the coming months on those.
Luke Ayling is perhaps the most high profile name on that list as the four-year deal he signed in 2019 approaches its expiration date. The experienced full-back has recently returned from injury and he’ll be playing for his future as he looks to make an impact in Jesse Marsch’s side.
Adam Forshaw finds himself in the same boat and his contract situation will be on his mind as he battles to catch the head coach’s eye. Joel Robles and Mateusz Bogusz are the other two figures at the club with less than a year to run and once more it seems decisions, one way or the other, will be made at a later date where they are concerned.
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However, the club will also have a rather large focus on those whose deals are due to expire in 2024 and some star names can be included in that bracket. Jack Harrison, Robin Koch, Rodrigo and Diego Llorente are amongst the most valuable names within the Whites squad with less than two years left to run.
Club captain Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk, Mateusz Klich, Cody Drameh and Stuart Dallas are also in possession of contracts due to expire at the end of next season, alongside Jamie Shackleton, Tyler Roberts, Helder Costa, Ian Poveda and Lewis Bate, who will all spend this season away from Elland Road on loan. United will start to mull over the situations of all 14 of the above players in the coming months and Marsch’s opinion will undoubtedly be sought, too.
Of course, recent performances, injury records and form will be the major factors considered when it comes to deciding these players’ futures, while a player’s current status on the market will also be taken into account. For example, if a player has interest from elsewhere, a new deal would help to deter bids being made.
Harrison was one player attracting attention over the summer with reports claiming Newcastle United bid on a couple of occasions for the 25-year-old, who has started the campaign in fine form. As such, it seems now would be the perfect time to secure the winger’s future and effectively kill off any interest from elsewhere heading into January.
Leeds would be under no pressure to sell Harrison, but they would risk losing a significant amount of control over the situation should his contract by allowed to enter its final 12 months. The same can be said for Robin Koch, who has turned in some excellent performances this season and has been described by Jesse Marsch as one of Leeds’ best this year.
The German international, although overlooked for the latest national squad, would attract plenty of attention should his deal be allowed to tick down for much longer, especially given the 26-year-old’s age. Age is another factor taken into account when contract considerations are made.
For example, Rodrigo will be 33 by the time his deal comes to an end in 2024 and foresight will be important when it comes to making such a decision. Mateusz Klich will be 34 by the end of next season, while Dallas will be 33, Cooper 32 and Llorente will be 30.
At such an age, any extension offered is unlikely to be long-term, with Premier League clubs regularly showing a reluctance to offer players aged 30 or over more than one or two more years. Struijk and Drameh are amongst the youngest on the list and their values will be relatively high at present.
Struijk’s inclusion in Louis van Gaal’s provisional Netherlands squad shows that he is close to an international call-up, having caught the eye while playing at left-back this season, while Drameh has fared well every time he has been involved. Of course, Leeds will take their respective potential and room for improvement into consideration before making a decision, particularly as they begin to plan how Marsch’s squad could look in a year or two.
For those currently away from West Yorkshire on loan, the future looks slightly foggier. Costa’s loan move to Al-Ittihad is expected to become permanent at the end of the season, while it has been reported that QPR have an option to sign Roberts.
With Poveda and Shackleton, though, decisions next summer may be based on how they fare away from Elland Road this season. It’s a pivotal time for United with contracts and player futures on the agenda and if they haven’t already, the club will look to open discussions sooner rather than later.
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