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Carlton Palmer thinks that the Whites are making the right choice in welcoming Wober back into the fold

Highlights

Leeds United are set to welcome Austrian international Max Wober back into their squad ahead of the new Championship season and pundit Carlton Palmer believes they are making the right decision in keeping him around.

Wober joined Leeds on a four-and-a-half year contract from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2023 and made 16 appearances in the Premier League in his debut season, but was unable to help the Whites avoid relegation to the second-tier at the end of the campaign.

The 26-year-old had hardly settled in West Yorkshire before he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach on a season-long loan last summer, and he featured 25 times in the Bundesliga as Gerardo Seoane's side finished 14th, but is not set to join Die Fohlen permanently this summer and instead looks surprisingly likely to be given a reprieve in Farke's first-team squad for 2024/25.

According to BBC journalist Adam Pope, Wober, like fellow former loanee Brenden Aaronson, will be brought back into the Whites' fold after returning from an extended break following representing Austria at Euro 2024.

He has since been seen travelling with his teammates to a pre-season trip in Germany, and while boss Farke has remained relatively coy regarding his future, he has admitted that it is "important" to have him back in the squad.

Carlton Palmer reacts to Max Wober revelation

The 26-year-old is set to be a centre-back option for Farke for the upcoming campaign, and will provide an added boost given their current defensive situation, with Liam Cooper set to leave the club, Ethan Ampadu likely to move back into midfield and Charlie Cresswell departing.

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer spoke exclusively to Football League World about how he thinks that the Whites are making the right call in welcoming Wober back into the squad, given his talent and their current state of play at the back.

"This decision makes perfect sense - I believe that Daniel Farke wasn’t too happy when Wober left the club on loan following relegation," he said.

"He’s still only 26, he’s got three years left on his contract and he should be a Leeds United player for the foreseeable future.

"Ethan Ampadu is expected to return to a midfield role for the season ahead, so Wober could play a key part as Leeds look to get back to the Premier League, especially as Liam Cooper has departed after his contract ended.

"Leeds are believed to have to raise up to one hundred million pounds in funds after missing out on promotion through the play-off final last season, therefore having to comply with EFL’s financial regulations. "They’ve already sold Archie Gray to Tottenham for around forty million, with others to come, so if you’ve got a player that has been playing in the Bundesliga in Wober, (he is) a very good player and he could have an instrumental role.

"These returning loanees who have been out playing top-flight football could come in and help Leeds push for promotion next season – it could be a real plus for Daniel Farke and the club."

Wober could be a huge asset to Farke

Wober is clearly a huge talent, as shown by his international pedigree and the £11m transfer fee that it took for Leeds to prise him from Salzburg just over 18 months ago.

If Leeds are set on keeping him around, it gives Daniel Farke a huge advantage compared to last season when he was not in the squad, as he was a near ever-present for Gladbach in 2023/24, barring injuries, and ranked very highly on defensive metrics compared to other Bundesliga centre-backs, according to FBref.

The Whites currently have just two other senior centre-backs on their books aside from Wober - Joe Rodon, who is set to play a crucial role after his permanent arrival from Spurs, and Pascal Strujik, who is only just returning from a long-term injury lay-off.

Cooper's case is a curious one, given he has not signed the contract offered to him by Leeds, and is also yet to reach an agreement with Blackburn Rovers after weeks of talks, but the club is planning for life without him next season and Wober will seemingly take up a place in the squad instead of him.

The 26-year-old is also versatile, and has played at left-back more often than in the centre of defence for his country, as well as consistently for Salzburg, so he provides a back-up option in that position in case of injury to Junior Firpo and Sam Byram.

He has shown his quality across a number of seasons in the Premier League and Bundesliga, and could provide Leeds, and Farke, a big advantage as they look to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.