Leeds United defender Maximilian Wober is “unlikely” to play in the Championship next season, according to Salzburger Nachrichten.
The Austrian tabloid stated in its print edition (3 June, page 17) that the centre-back, who spent last season on loan at Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach, is delaying discussions about his future until after EURO 2024.
Daniel Farke’s side’s failure to win promotion in the Championship play-off final means they will spend another season in the second division, raising questions about the futures of players who went on season-long loan agreements last summer.
Wober was also asked about the potential of returning to Red Bull Salzburg, the club from which Leeds recruited him in January 2023, and stated that he had “a very nice time” with the Austrian club.
Wober will not be welcomed back by Leeds United supporters.
While it’s unlikely that Wober or any of the players who left on temporary contracts following the Premier League’s relegation last summer will be in Daniel Farke’s plans next season, it’s even more improbable that the Elland Road crowd will be disguising their emotions.
The Austrian was apparently one of the players Farke wanted to keep during his first season in charge, but Wober’s successful bid to leave has undoubtedly strained relations between him and the Whites manager.
Monchengladbach’s loan arrangement did not include the option of a permanent contract for Wober last summer, but Leeds’ failure to gain promotion apparently puts them in a far stronger position to re-sign the centre-back.
In any case, Wober will be in high demand this summer from a variety of different clubs, and a return to Monchengladbach or Salzburg appears more plausible than him leaving Elland Road in the first games of next season.
