The Leeds United players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from Elland Road next month | OneFootball

FLW outline the 3 Leeds United players that can discuss a pre-contract agreement elsewhere in January.

There are a handful of Leeds United players with expiring contracts in the summer of 2025, with those individuals able to agree to pre-contract deals when the transfer window opens next month.

There are numerous players that helped Leeds to enjoy a fine season and clock up a points tally that would ordinarily win a club automatic promotion last year. Leeds knew that they would have to plan their next steps for the coming season in the Championship carefully after missing out on promotion to the top-flight.

Plenty of players left the club, with many out of contract this summer. The departures already included the likes of Luke Ayling, Lewis Bate, Robin Koch, Jamie Shackleton, and Ian Poveda upon the expiry of their contracts, whilst Jack Harrison, Darko Gyabi, Sonny Perkins, and Sam Greenwood have sealed loan exits.

Meanwhile, the further sales for more big-money fees from Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter all helped Farke and his team in raising the necessary funds to help balance the books. It also gave Leeds the ability to make deals of their own.

Despite those losses and having just missed out on automatic promotion, the Whites have started 2024/25 well and optimism remains that the club can be strong again for the remainder of the season, with Championship competition perhaps less fierce at the top-end of the division when looking at the teams that have gone up and come down.

The club are in a healthy place in many ways, with the majority of players under long contracts until 2027 or 2028 in most cases, but there are some who have already entered the final 12 months of their deals this summer.

Here, we have taken a look at the Leeds players who will see their contracts expire in 2025, whom can discuss contract deals with overseas clubs in the near future.

Junior Firpo

The Athletic reported earlier last season that Leeds were not planning to offer Junior Firpo a new contract. It has also been claimed that the Whites would be willing to listen to offers for Firpo in the summer but he has since proven to be a key member of the side in the latter stages of the 2023/24 campaign and remained past the deadline.

Failure to cash in on the left-back in the summer means the club are at risk of losing him for nothing in the summer of 2025 due to his expiring contract or indeed in January, which sees him amongst the top earners at Elland Road - unsurprising given that he came from Barcelona.

The 28-year-old has given them food for thought at the back end of the season, though, having made 33 appearances for the Whites, contributing to eight assists (Transfermarkt). Not only that, but he has become one of the club's most consistent and reliable performers since the turn of the year.

While he has never been the strongest in general defensive situations, Firpo has enormous upside in possession and has the ability to contribute to the Leeds attack consistently down the left-hand side. He will overlap, and, crucially, hold the width. He is able to do this as he plays on his strong foot, and is the only out-and-out left-footed full-back at the club, which opens up passing angles in build up and crossing opportunities in the final third.

His recent injury has disrupted his campaign, and his days could be numbered at Elland Road. According to a report from Turkish publication Fotospor, the Dominican Republic international has been identified as a potential January transfer target for Besiktas. They are looking to recruit a full-back during the winter window and the 28-year-old's name has been touted as one they are looking into.

For a while now, he has been a solution to their left-back problem. There is plenty to be said of some continuity and consistency heading into next season, and that could see the club's stance change on Firpo, and possibly extend his current deal further. However, the latest injury concern may see the club seek an upgrade in January or the summer.

Sam Byram

Sam Byram re-signed for Leeds last summer following the club’s relegation to the Championship. The full-back had initially left the Whites back in 2016 to join West Ham, before ending up at Norwich City in 2019. A one-year deal was agreed for the 31-year-old to make his return to West Yorkshire, with an automatic trigger if he surpassed a certain number of games.

The club have already said farewell to plenty of full-backs in the summer, but one who remained after he surprised many is Byram, who has been a consistent and reliable performer at right or left-back. He switched between the two over the course of this season and last, having to fill in for Firpo during the first half of the campaign in 2023/24, and that has seen him meet the clause in his deal to remain for another year.

The jury remains out on how long Leeds will retain him for due to a poor injury record at this stage, but if Byram can stay fit enough again, then he has previously proved an impressive operator at this level and could well receive a further extension if he continues on his current trajectory, irrespective of which league Leeds are in next year.

It's not abundantly clear what is next for Byram's Leeds career, with the 31-year-old impressing in both full-back positions, and providing Farke with that versatility. He is also a player the German knows well and continuity could be a reason to extend his deal, but injuries have caught up to him in the second half of the season and in patches of this season already, and his place in the pecking order has also dropped.

Perhaps the Whites will look for younger, less injury-prone options at full-back instead for 2025/26. But Byram has plenty of Premier League and second tier experience. However, if he is willing to sign another one-year deal, then it could be a smart move to give Farke depth of options in that area going forward, even if the ceiling in terms of his quality is not as high as Firpo, nor Jayden Bogle.

Josuha Guilavogui

Josuha Guilavogui has been a crucial addition to the Leeds dressing room since joining on a free transfer in October. Primarily operating as a defensive midfielder, he can also fill in at centre-back, providing much-needed versatility in Farke's squad.

At 34 years old, Guilavogui brings a wealth of experience to a relatively young dressing room, which could prove vital in Leeds' push for promotion. Having played at the highest level across Europe, including stints in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, and La Liga, Guilavogui has been involved in some massive fixtures over his career as well.

His time with Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga saw him compete regularly in high-pressure matches, including Champions League outings and Bundesliga title races. His leadership qualities have been honed over years of playing at the top, making him an invaluable presence at Elland Road, where younger leadership figures such as Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk can learn from him.

Leeds’ decision to bring Guilavogui in well after the transfer window shut was a smart short-term move. The Whites needed a steady head in midfield after the injury issues that occurred, and his availability on a free presented a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to strengthen their squad for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

However, given his age and the fact that Leeds are aiming for promotion under Farke, it seems likely that Guilavogui’s stay will be limited to just this season. Should Leeds secure a return to the Premier League, the club would likely move him on in the summer of 2025 as they look for younger, long-term options to compete at a higher level.