Leeds United set to retain Ilia Gruev service on one key condition | OneFootball

Gruev looks set to stay at Elland Road if the club seal promotion this season

Bulgarian international midfielder Ilia Gruev is set to stay at Leeds United if the club wins promotion to the Premier League for next season, despite interest in his services from several clubs ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

24-year-old Gruev took his first steps to becoming a professional at Werder Bremen, and made his senior debut for the German club in 2020 before helping them to win promotion to the Bundesliga in 2022 as a regular starter at the base of midfield.

He joined Leeds in August 2023 from Die Werderaner on a four-year contract for a reported fee of around £5 million, and while he has struggled to ever nail down a consistent starting berth in the Championship under Daniel Farke, he has still impressed when called upon and been a solid performer in their bid to return to the Premier League.

Gruev featured 35 times in all competitions in his maiden Elland Road campaign, with one goal, an opener in the play-off semi-final second-leg against Norwich City, and two assists to his name.

He made just 20 league starts last season, amid stern competition for places from Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara, but did play from the off in 12 straight games between January and March, with the Whites winning 11 times in that key run.

The 20-cap Bulgaria international has made just 21 appearances this term, after missing over three months of action from October to January with a serious knee injury. He has returned to Farke's fold in recent weeks, with consecutive starts in the club's last two outings in wins against Middlesbrough and Preston North End, as they tighten their grip on automatic promotion.

TEAMtalk have provided an update on the 24-year-old's future at Elland Road past the end of this campaign, and they claim that he is 'fully committed' to staying at Leeds if they do seal promotion from the Championship in the weeks to come.

Gruev may not be Farke's first-choice in the middle of the park, but despite numerous clubs approaching the Whites about his potential availability ahead of the summer transfer window, TEAMtalk state that he remains 'very comfortable' at Leeds and believes in the club's project.

With that said, if the Whites do fail to get promoted to the top-flight this season, then they also claim that his stance on a possible exit could change, and he may well entertain offers from interested sides.

Daniel Farke has rated Gruev as 'priceless' - a summer exit seems unlikely

Gruev may not have been the most consistent starter for Leeds since his arrival over 18 months ago, but it has arguably been through no fault of his own, with the likes of Ao Tanaka, Ethan Ampadu, and even Glen Kamara last season, all being some of the second-tier's best in the defensive midfield position.

He would no doubt have liked to have played more so far, but he missed a big chunk of this term around the busy Christmas period, and Farke has understandably preferred to play his first-choice players as the Whites seek automatic promotion.

The German boss noted Gruev as "priceless" upon his return to action in an FA Cup tie against Harrogate Town in January, while admitting that him being back in training at such a vital point of the campaign was a "big boost" to the whole squad.

It is clear that he is well-rated among many at Elland Road, and the 24-year-old praised Farke for the trust and faith that he has placed in him since he joined the club in an interview with German outlet SPORT last month, so he seems to be happy with his current standing as promotion beckons.

Whether Gruev will be able to prove himself in the Premier League with Leeds remains to be seen, but Whites supporters will be pleased that he looks set to stick around and fight for his place in midfield, provided they do go up this season.