Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood and Cody Drameh could be on their way out of Elland Road
HIGHLIGHTS
- Leeds United may see some key players leave before the transfer window closes, potentially weakening their squad for their promotion campaign.
- The departures of Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt, and Cody Drameh could benefit rival clubs like Birmingham, Ipswich, and Middlesbrough in the Championship.
- Loaning out these players may increase competition and make it harder for Leeds to achieve their promotion goals, potentially requiring them to meet higher points targets.
With less than two days remaining of the summer transfer window, the vast majority of clubs are still working to get their business done.
Leeds United are one who are no different, with plenty of reports circulating about both potential incomings and outgoings at Elland Road.
Following their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship at the end of last season, fans of the club will no doubt be encouraged to see the incoming business being done, as they aim to secure a swift return to the top-flight of English football.
However, it could be argued that some of the reports around potential departures from the club before Friday night’s deadline, could cause some element of concern for those of a Leeds persuasion.
Drameh, Greenwood and Gelhardt on the way out
It seems as though three players who could be set to exit Leeds before the window closes, are Sam Greenwood,
Joe and Cody Drameh.
All three of those individuals however, all seem as though they could be set to remain in the Championship.
Middlesbrough have now been confirmed as a new destination for Greenwood, with the attacking midfielder moving to the Riverside Stadium on a season-long loan deal.
Gelhardt meanwhile, will reportedly be allowed to leave on loan, with the striker said to be attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs, including Ipswich Town.
Elsewhere, right-back Drameh is apparently attracting loan interest from a number of Championship clubs, with Birmingham said to be leading the race for his services.
While those exits could raise funds and create space in the squad for new signings at Elland Road, it is hard not to feel as though the potential destinations for this trio, could mean that Leeds are taking something of a risk here.
Rivals strengthened by Leeds departures
As has already been mentioned, Leeds will be targeting promotion back to the Premier League this season.
However, if they are to sanction these deals, you do feel as though they will be boosting the chances of several other clubs beating them to that.
Birmingham for starters, have made a number of eye-catching promising signings in the window and are showing promising signs in the early stages of the campaign, sitting third in the table with ten points from four games.
In Drameh, they would also be getting a player who played a key role in helping Luton Town win promotion from the Championship last season, and could therefore be a major asset to the Blues in their attempts to do that this time around.
Ipswich meanwhile, had won three out of three in the league before being beaten 4-3 by Leeds last weekend, and therefore they too can still be considered a threat given their overall strong start to the season.
That could further be enhanced by the arrival of Gelhardt, who has shown a knack with coming up for vital goals with Leeds in the past, and also made some useful contributions to help Sunderland to a place in the Championship play-offs last season, meaning he could be an asset for the Tractor Boys.
Admittedly, Middlesbrough have started the season slowly, but they will still have ambitions of reaching the play-offs once again, just as they did last season.
Adding Greenwood, among others, should help boost their chances of doing that, given he showed at times last season with Leeds that he can make an impression in the Premier League, meaning he could be even more of a threat to opposition teams in the Championship.
Competition getting stronger
Of course, loan rules mean those three players will not be able to play directly against Leeds should they make those moves.
Even so though, they will no doubt give their loan clubs a greater chance of picking up more points in the other games they play.
That in turn, may increase the points target that Leeds themselves need to meet to gain promotion, while also potentially losing some individuals who could have helped them to do just that.
It seems therefore, that in what looks set to be an eventful end to the summer transfer window at Elland Road, Leeds may be about to take some considerable gambles in their push for promotion.
