Leeds United will hope news in Germany does not impact Elland Road sale: View | OneFootball

Leeds United will be hoping that Maximilian Wober's prospective summer sale remains unaffected by a famous upset in the German Cup.

In March, German third-division side Saarbrucken defied the odds to stun Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Pokal (German Cup).

The club from the Saarland region, near the French border, had previously beaten Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt en route to their quarter-final encounter with Gladbach. Saarbrucken extended their miracle cup run in dramatic fashion, scoring in added time to seal a famous 2-1 victory.

Interestingly, the force of the German Cup giant-killing may have been felt closer to home. For Leeds, Saarbrucken forward Kai Brunker's late winner might have thrown a spanner in the works and affected Wober's exit in the upcoming transfer window.

Wober joined Gladbach on a season-long loan from Leeds United last July for a €500k fee (£428k). The defender has regularly featured for the Bundesliga side, appearing 25 times for Gladbach this season. With Wober playing consistently for the club, it has been speculated that Gladbach are poised to launch a bid to sign the player permanently this summer.

However, the German side missed out on €3.4 million worth of prize money through their shock DFB Pokal exit. Gladbach may rue the loss of these funds if they are unable to match Leeds' asking price in the upcoming transfer window.

If Gladbach have not been sufficiently damaged by their German Cup defeat, and can find the funds to strike a deal with Leeds, both sides may be able to find mutual benefit in Wober's Elland Road departure.

For Leeds, the main goal in the defender's exit from the club will be to recoup as much of their original outlay as possible.

Wober joined the Whites in January 2023 as manager Jesse Marsch looked to broaden the club's range of defensive options with his side battling the Premier League drop. The defender was brought in for a transfer fee in the region of £11 million from Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg.

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Petter this March, negotiations between Leeds and Gladbach had proved to be tough. At the time, the Yorkshire club had valued Wober above €10 million.

Farke will be hoping that the club can push for an inflated transfer fee. Wober has done well during his time as a Gladbach player this season and Leeds will surely see the transfer interest as a prime opportunity to profit from a signing that hasn't quite worked out.

Cup exit could hamper Gladbach pursuit

Despite the club’s interest in the defender, according to a Rheinische Post article (via Sport Witness), Gladbach are reportedly likely to fall short of Leeds’ set asking price.

As the Whites have loaned the defender to Gladbach with the thought of securing another deal at the end of this campaign, a tough negotiation this summer would feel like a major blow.

At the start of last season, Daniel Farke was forced to enforce a clearout of the club’s Premier League deadwood, opting to build a team around exciting young talents. This campaign, the Whites have been the Championships’ most resolute defence. Leeds have only conceded 33 across the season so far, with Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk excelling.

Farke has successfully integrated talented academy graduate Archie Gray into the senior fold, too. Gray has enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season playing in both defensive midfield and full-back roles, supported by centre back pairing Ampadu and Rodon in 2024.

Ampadu and Rodon both joined the club in respective permanent and loan moves from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The Welsh international pair have solidified the Whites’ back-line and allowed the full-throttle Leeds attacking style to work successfully.

If Rodon is retained in the summer, it might be that Wober's fee covers the cost of landing him from Spurs. For 90% of Leeds' fans, it's a deal they want to see happen.

However, in a damaging scenario for the club, Leeds may feel the need to accommodate Wober or strike an alternative deal with another team if he is returned to the club by Gladbach unsold; whilst his loan has been steady, they feel the most likely destination for any permanent deal.

If Elland Road is to see Premier League football next season, Wober may look to force his way back into the Leeds team and have another crack in the English top-flight, something that would be largely unpopular. With the success of the Whites’ defence this campaign, the club will surely target the defender's exit with the hopes of funding Rodon’s permanent transfer.

Rodon has reportedly been valued in the range of £10-15 million by parent club Tottenham. Leeds would have hoped that the money brought in by a Gladbach move for Wober may have covered a significant amount of the Welshman's cost.

Ultimately, though, Leeds' plans for the upcoming transfer window may be hampered by something out of their hands with Gladbach's shock DFB Pokal defeat. The Yorkshire club, though, will remain hopeful that Wober's departure from Elland Road goes smoothly this summer.