Preston, Stoke, Middlesbrough and Swansea in late push for Leeds United man | OneFootball

Leeds United continue to finalise late transfer business as players are set to depart Elland Road.

Relegation often leads to a squad overhaul as stars depart for greener pastures while there is an onus to reduce the wage bill in preparation for life in the second tier.

Leeds have certainly taken this approach with an exodus of talent departing since the opening of the market with others set to make a late exit in the final week of the window.

Loan moves for the likes of Diego Llorente, Jack Harrison, Brendon Aaronson and Marc Roca has left Daniel Farke with a very different eleven to the one Leeds commonly lined-up with last season.

Six players have since come the other way with Joël Piroe the big-money move up top from Swansea City while recruitment elsewhere has been focused on bolstering the defence - Ethan Ampadu, Sam Bryam and Tottenham duo Djed Spence and Joe Rodon tasked with fixing their chronic defensive issues.

While other players return from injury, players on the fringes could be set for temporary moves away from Elland Road with numerous Championship clubs circling for Leeds' brightest talents.

Who is Sam Greenwood?

A highly-rated youngster since arriving from Arsenal's academy, the attacking midfielder made his Leeds debut back in January 2021 in a FA Cup clash against Crawley Town.

Impressive performances in the Premier League 2, recording 13 goal contributions in 17 matches, Greenwood was rewarded with first-team minutes.

The 20-year-old went on to make his Premier League debut the following season, making one start in seven appearances as the Yorkshire outfit avoided the drop, recording two assists for his effort.

As injury problems ensued in the senior setup, the England U21 international received more top-flight minutes, making three starts in 18 appearances as he scored his first Premier League goal in a 4-3 win against Bournemouth.

He could do little to prevent his side from being condemned to relegation, however, while his game time has not increased since dropping to the Championship, making just one cameo appearance against West Brom with second-tier rivals circling for his services.

Who is interested in Sam Greenwood?

Greenwood could be the next Leeds youngster to go out on loan this summer, according to Tom Collomosse of the Daily Mail, with Middlesbrough, Preston, Stoke City and Swansea City all showing interest in the player with each respective outfit looking to bolster their own attacking options for the long season ahead.

If a move is to materialise, it would be the first loan in Greenwood's career as he searches for more regular game time to continue his development.

Fellow youngster Sonny Perkins has already taken the plunge this summer, moving to League One outfit Oxford United on a temporary basis.

At this stage of his development, regular game time is crucial and if it is unlikely to be the case with Leeds even with their current injury crisis, a loan move is the logical next step for both parties.

Fellow young stars and teammates Joe Gelhardt, Ian Poveda and Cody Drameh have all benefited from loan moves away to become accustomed to the challenges of Championship football and put their skills to the test on the senior stage.

With a reported four second-tier clubs in for him, it highlights not just the potential but the current ability of the player with some of the biggest clubs in the division trusting him to make an impact now.

All four clubs offer a great opportunity to impress and all offer their benefits. A move to Middlesbrough, however, may be the most appealing as the attacking midfield option in the attacking quartet.

Since Chuba Akpom's departure, no player has been able to make themselves a standout for the position with Michael Carrick's side failing to hit the heights of last season's play-off campaign as they find themselves in the bottom three.

The attacking dominance of Stoke and Preston, meanwhile, could be of interest to Greenwood as an option to become not just a regular starter but a regular on the scoresheet, albeit it will be a competitive environment for minutes currently with the two sides flying high at the top of the table.