This summer, Daniel Farke and the transfer department will have a number of decisions to make on the handful of senior Leeds United players that left last summer on loan using Victor Orta’s clause.
Orta decided to include clauses in a number of Leeds contracts that in the event of relegation, allowed a few players to leave the club on loan without The Yorkshire club being able to prevent an immediate exit.
It was probably designed to cut the wage bill but what it meant in reality was that players who had played a key part in the club being relegated jump ship, Leeds unable to sell them for cash to then reinvest.
Daniel Farke inherited a mess as Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson and Robin Koch moved to Germany. Two went to Roma in the form of Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen, while Marc Roca returned to Spain.
Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison returned to the Premier League imminently with Bournemouth and Everton. Since those eight left, Sinisterra and Koch have joined Bournemouth and Frankfurt permanently.
A number of players were only signed by Jesse Marsch a season before, and the American manager has commented on the treatment they have received from Leeds fans following their loan exits last summer.
What Marsch said about the treatment of those players that left
There was obvious frustration from Leeds fans following relegation and a lot of that was vented at the players the Yorkshire club brought in with none of them really making much of an impact at Elland Road.
The plan was to sell Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha and improve using the near-£100m raked in from those two sales. But Leeds were worse without those two stars, despite Marsch making a number of signings.
Those players got the brunt of the criticism, combined with their decision to leave at the earliest chance having played a big part in relegation and not sticking with Leeds to get back up to the Premier League.
Marsch told CBS Sports Golazo about that treatment from fans: “I haven’t been in touch with anyone inside the club. I don’t really know what the thought process would be,” he said on the loan players.
“I know the fans were really hard on all the players that left, that had clauses in their contracts that got loaned out or were sold. I’m not sure what the whole status, the mentality of the club,” Marsch continued.
Leeds players to jump ship deserved harsh treatment from fans
While Aaronson can be slightly understood for wanting to play Champions League football with Union Berlin, and Harrison having helped Leeds go up in the first place, the rest got the criticism they deserved.
It is likely that if Leeds get the chance to sell any of the six remaining loan players for a permanent fee, then they will. Roca is set to return from Real Betis, as is Kristensen from Roma after a difficult season.
The chances of these players remaining on the books at Leeds next season depends on whether clubs are willing to pay to sign them, but also if Leeds get promoted with the loan clause active if in the second tier.