Leeds United

Leeds United

Championship

Ten players likely to leave Leeds Utd following Premier League relegation: Meslier, Adams, Gnonto…

Willy Gnonto, Illan Meslier and Tyler Adams. TEAMtalk montage.

Leeds United face a mass exodus this summer after their spell in the Premier League came to an end after three seasons on Sunday.

Relegation to the Championship will likely lead to a major squad overhaul at Elland Road with their star players wanting to play in Europe’s top divisions.

While Leeds will try and keep hold of their prized assets, a lot of clubs will now be looking to take advantage following their demise.

We’ve taken a look at 10 Leeds players that will probably move on in the summer following the club’s retur to the Championship.

Illan Meslier

Admittedly, Meslier has endured a difficult season in goal and has recently been dropped to the bench by manager Sam Allardyce.

But the 23-year-old, who recently became the youngest goalkeeper to reach 100 Premier League appearances, still has a lot of potential and could be a future France No.1.

Football Insider report that he wants to end his four-year stay at Elland Road in the summer and Leeds have set a £40m asking price.

He has previously been linked with Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United, who are all in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer.

Illan Meslier, Leeds United, February 2023

Max Wober

Despite only joining Leeds in the January transfer window, Wober could be on the move once again in the summer.

The centre-back, who cost £14m from Red Bull Salzburg, has been one of the club’s best players in the second half of the season and is becoming a fan favourite at Elland Road.

But he played in the Champions League earlier this season and will probably look to move on if Leeds drop down to the Championship.

Robin Koch

While Leeds have struggled defensively in 2022/23, Koch has still done enough to prove he can be a dependable Premier League centre-back.

The 26-year-old, who has just over 12 months left on his contract, has been one of the first names on the team sheet for all three managers this season.

“Robin Koch has been competent to a degree that if Leeds do go down, he would not find a good move difficult to come by,” Phil Hay wrote in The Atheltic.

Newcastle United and Tottenham have expressed an interest in him and reportedly believe he could be available for cheap in the summer if Leeds suffer relegation.

READ MORE: James Maddison joins illustrious names in relegated Premier League XI

Tyler Adams

Adams joined Leeds from RB Leipzig in a £20m deal last summer and has been one of their standout performers in 2022/23.

But the midfielder has had to watch from the sidelines in recent weeks after picking up a hamstring injury and Leeds have really struggled in his absence.

According to Football Insider, Leeds fear they have no chance of keeping hold of the USA international if they are relegated.

The report adds that a number of clubs in the Premier League and in the leading European leagues are keeping a close eye on his situation, including fierce rivals Manchester United.

Marc Roca

Signed for £10m last summer, Roca has endured a mixed debut season at Leeds and has struggled with the physicality of the Premier League.

The former Bayern Munich midfielder definitely won’t want to play in the Championship and has been linked with a return to his native Spain.

Estadio Deportivo suggest that Real Betis, who are currently sixth in La Liga, are set to reignite their interest in the 26-year-old after failing to sign him last summer.

If Leeds fail to beat the drop, they will be powerless to stop him from leaving as he reportedly has a relegation release clause in his contract.

Weston McKennie

Leeds saw off interest from Tottenham and plenty of other Premier League clubs to sign McKennie on loan from Juventus in January.

He arrived at Elland Road with a big reputation but has failed to live up to expectations and his performances have attracted a lot of criticism.

While the loan deal reportedly includes a £30m buy option, that only gets activated if Leeds avoid relegation to the Championship.

He won’t be missed by the Elland Road faithful with a portion of them turning on McKennie during Sunday’s 4-1 home loss to Spurs.

Jack Harrison

Harrison came close to a deadline day move to Leicester City in the January transfer window, only for the deal to collapse late on.

He recently put pen to paper on a new five-year contract with Leeds, but The Athletic claim that his deal now includes a release clause.

According to The Sun, West Ham United are interested in Harrison and will offer him a swift return to the top flight if the Whites suffer relegation.

Jack Harrison and Wilfried Gnonto

Luis Sinisterra

After starring for Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord in 2021/22, Sinisterra joined Leeds in a £21m deal last summer and was tasked with filling the void left by Raphinha’s departure.

But his debut season in England has been plagued by multiple injury problems, which have limited him to just 22 appearances in all competitions.

The Colombia international has still managed to showcase glimpses of his undoubted quality and has registered seven goals and one assist, at a rate of a direct goal involvement every 127.1 minutes.

AC Milan are reportedly keen on the 23-year-old and Calciomercato claim he is “already in the sights of the top English clubs” ahead of the summer window.

Willy Gnonto

Gnonto joined Leeds from Swiss side FC Zurich in the summer and has been one of the few bright sparks in a disappointing campaign.

The 19-year-old has registered four goals and four assists in all competitions, including a Paolo Di Canio-esque volley against Cardiff City in the FA Cup.

While he has said that he is happy in west Yorkshire, that could change if Leeds go down and Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are reportedly keeping an eye on his situation.

A return to Italy is also possible for the former Inter Milan youngster, who is attracting interest from Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina, Roma, Napoli, Atalanta and Sassuolo.

Rodrigo

Despite the club’s struggles in 2022/23, Rodrigo has enjoyed his best individual campaign in a Leeds shirt.

The Spain international has netted 13 goals in 30 Premier League appearances and has reportedly informed Leeds he does not wish to play in the Championship.

He’s also the highest-paid player at Elland Road and it would be financially impossible to maintain his £100,000-a-week wages if the club got demoted to the second tier.

According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has asked the club to sign the 32-year-old, who has just 12 months remaining on his Leeds contract.

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