Victor Orta’s loan relegation clause allowed eight senior Leeds United players to leave the club on loan last summer but this time, Phil Hay has reported how many have the same clause this summer.
The clause was inserted by Orta in a handful of contracts at Elland Road to save Leeds cash in terms of the wage bill when relegated, but what was not foreseen was that Leeds would be unable to sell any of them.
It allowed clubs to swoop without paying much of a loan fee and take a key Leeds player, the club unable to do anything about it. Eight went in total using the clause, Marc Roca returning to Spain with Real Betis.
Max Wober, Brenden Aaronson and Robin Koch moved to Germany on loan, while Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra returned to the Premier League. Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen went on loan to Roma.
Now, six of those eight players return with Koch joining Frankfurt permanently on a free and Sinisterra bought by Bournemouth. Hay now reports on The Athletic how many Leeds players have that clause.
Phil Hay shares how many Leeds players have loan exit clause
The club are reportedly confident that Wober, Llorente, Harrison and Roca have done enough to earn permanent exits, having impressed out on loan. For Aaronson and Kristensen, their future is in doubt.
Hay claims that only two Leeds players have the same loan exit clause this time around, that so many had last summer. The Athletic’s Leeds reporter also says one of those two, is on-loan Everton winger Harrison.
It makes sense, given that reports have indicated Everton are considering a move to re-sign Harrison on loan for a second season. It remains to be seen who the other Leeds players is, who can leave so easily.
Which of the six returning loan players have a future at Leeds?
Llorente is clinging on to an international career with Spain and after 18 months at Roma, the chances are if he does not join the Italian giants, he will go elsewhere while Kristensen’s future is trickier to work out.
The Dane really struggled at Roma, and perhaps given Connor Roberts and Luke Ayling have left, Leeds could give him a chance. Whether Kristensen is willing to step down for a season now remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Roca is sure to end up back in Spain and Harrison at Everton. Wober remains a target for Gladbach but haggling continues between Leeds and the German side with the 49ers requesting £14.5m.
Aaronson is the intriguing one, with previous reports suggesting Farke would like to take a look at the USA star and Leeds lacking a no.10. It might be that he becomes involved at Elland Road next season.