Cardiff City, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield Wednesday and Luton Town are all among the clubs battling to sign a Leeds United player who is set to be released.
The Whites officially published their retained list on Friday afternoon as they confirmed those they do and don’t want to keep for the upcoming season.
Liam Cooper, Jamie Shackleton and Cody Drameh are among those to have been offered new deals, while the number of appearances Sam Byram made last season has triggered a one-year extension.
Phil Hay says it still remains up in the air as to whether Cooper will sign after he had all but confirmed he would be leaving.
Talks over a new deal for Shackleton were certainly surprising, while Drameh is still expected to leave, with a contract having been offered to ensure they receive compensation when he joins a new club.
Ian Poveda and Lewis Bate were arguably the most high profile exits on the list, despite their impressive displays in the second half of the season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and MK Dons respectively.
Update provided on where Ian Poveda could move next
With the window not officially open until June 14, the retained list is the start of what is expected to be a very busy summer at Elland Road.
After losing the play-off final, chairman Paraag Marathe has admitted some player sales will be needed in the coming weeks, as they look to comply with PSR.
Alongside Luke Ayling (Middlesbrough) and Stuart Dallas (retired), Poveda and Bate are the first of the confirmed departures, all be it Leeds won’t be receiving a fee.
And it would be fair to say Poveda is certainly not shy of interest now he is available for nothing, with journalist Darren Witcoop reporting a number of clubs have joined Wednesday in the race.
After a decent loan spell at the Owls, Wednesday had made their intentions clear to sign Poveda permanently. However, they now face some real competition.
West Brom, Cardiff and Luton are now all in the running for his signature, and so Wednesday now really have their work cut out ensuring he returns to Hillsborough.
Where is Poveda most likely to go?
On paper, all three of those clubs may actually represent more attractive options than Wednesday.
The Baggies reached the play-off semi-finals last season and so will be hoping for another promotion push, while Luton will be looking for an immediate Premier League return. He certainly has a big decision to make.
Cardiff, meanwhile, have just confirmed manager Erol Bulut will be staying for the next two years and have a solid mid-table finish to build on next season.
That said, Wednesday finally provided Poveda with a platform to express himself and play regularly. For a footballer at his age and of his style, that is priceless.