4 Leeds United players who will surely be seeking a loan exit before August 30th | OneFootball

FLW outline four of Leeds United's young stars who will be seeking a loan away from the club in 2024/25 to gain first-team opportunities.

Highlights

Leeds United are expected to be a strong side again in the 2024/25 Championship season, but there will be fringe players who need first-team experience requiring a loan this summer.

Leeds were unable to gain promotion at the first time of asking and face a tough summer period of rebuilding, with multiple players set to leave the club. They will need to replace key personnel who depart, especially those that were a major part of the reason they finished the season in third.

Despite Red Bull's lucrative sponsorship deal with the club, Leeds losing in the play-off final is certain to have ramifications on what the club can do this summer. Cash flow and debts are an issue, meaning young stars such as Crysencio Summerville, Willy Gnonto, Georginio Rutter, and Archie Gray could be sold to help balance the books before the club can make significant investments of their own in the form of incoming players to the squad.

Loan clauses negatively impacted the club last year, with Jack Harrison expected to rejoin Everton, as his clause is still active and the Toffees are set to recruit the player on another loan deal; but there appear to be less issues on that front this summer.

If Leeds can keep a core of a team together, then there remain players wanting to experience senior football or win game time elsewhere if they are struggling to get into Daniel Farke's plans consistently. There are some prospects within the ranks at Elland Road who could benefit from a season away on loan to further their development, and FLW looks into a number of those below.

Charlie Cresswell

Following a highly successful loan with Millwall only a year ago, Charlie Cresswell could be forgiven for thinking that he may have a larger role with Leeds in 2023/24.

Cresswell is in the same position as other fringe players in many ways, with developmental minutes needed at senior level, as opposed to languishing within Leeds' reserves or on the fringes of the first-team with very little game time to speak of this term.

He has benefited from a Championship loan before, and should be in line to do so again next season. Now that he has tasted regular first-team football, Cresswell will surely push for another loan move next season if his alternative in Liam Cooper has been warming the bench at Elland Road, making him Farke's fourth choice in the pecking order.

Darko Gyabi

When Leeds fended off European interest to secure the signing of England U20 international Darko Gyabi from Manchester City, there was a feeling that he would be the long-term successor to Kalvin Phillips, destined to fill the midfield void at Elland Road. Yet, two years down the line, the 20-year-old struggled for opportunities under Farke this season.

Unable to force his way into the starting fold, he opted to go out on loan in January to Plymouth Argyle in search of Championship game time. There, he hit the ground running. His composed and dynamic, box-to-box play style energised the Plymouth midfield and earned him a starting spot during his time at Home Park.

Unfortunately, the talented youngster’s loan spell was cut short in March when it was decided that he would undergo surgery to deal with a groin problem. Although Gyabi enjoyed a successful spell in the South West, it feels unlikely that Farke will open the door for him to challenge for a spot in the starting team yet, and another loan could help him to kick on and be integrated into the starting side in 2025.

Joe Gelhardt

Had Leeds achieved promotion through the Championship play-offs, Joe Gelhardt’s exit from the club would surely have been accelerated. This season, the 22-year-old has been cast out of the starting picture by Farke and has every right to feel hard done by.

Gelhardt's long-term future in West Yorkshire is unclear, with his development stalling over the last couple of seasons. However, there is talent there, and the club could instead seek a loan in order to get his career back on track, with the idea of utilising him in 2025/26 instead; alternatively, they could move him on for an increased transfer fee if he impresses.

Gelhardt has reached a crossroads, and with three years left on his Leeds contract, it is paramount that a deal is struck in the upcoming transfer window to secure the forward first-team football next season, and to help him further realise his potential with regular second tier gametime.

Diogo Monteiro

If Diogo Monteiro is to break through in the coming seasons, then it would represent a debut for Leeds' 2023 January signing from Servette, with the centre-back joining on a three-and-a-half year deal on transfer deadline day.

The Portuguese youth international fits into the philosophy Farke is attempting to implement at Leeds and is a capable ball-player at the heart of the defence. The loss of Joe Rodon and potentially Cooper and Cresswell could see a space open up this summer for one of their U-23 centre-backs, which could be Monteiro.

However, for now, he is in need of vital minutes at senior level, as opposed to being fast-tracked into Farke's plans. The defender has impressed in the U-21 team and now needs to prove his level in the men's game with a loan lower down the pyramid in the EFL.