Leeds United can benefit after Daniel Farke draws on Carlos Corberan, West Brom inspiration: View | OneFootball

Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson has held positive talks with Daniel Farke and is expected to be a part of the club's promotion push next season, in a situation similar to Cedric Kipre and Alex Mowatt with West Brom in 2023/24.

It's fair to say that Aaronson struggled with Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin last season, and things haven't gone to plan for him since moving to Leeds from RB Salzburg in the summer of 2022. He came with plenty of potential at the age of just 22 but what Leeds were served up on the pitch was not worth the reported fee of close to £25 million after the midfielder penned a five-year deal at Elland Road.

The Whites then saw numerous players leave the club shortly after relegation from the Premier League, as loan clauses became a pressing issue for Farke and the 49ers to deal with and navigate in the market.

A loan to a Champions League club came as a shock when Aaronson joined his latest side but he and his new club have both struggled this season. Union only just survived this year, with Aaronson contributing to just two goals and two assists from 38 appearances, with 15 of those coming as starts.

It was therefore unsurprising when the news was revealed merely weeks ago in a report from Berliner Kurier, stating that Farke was looking to sell the 23-year-old midfielder this summer, as it appeared that the German did not have a place in the squad for the attacking midfielder. Not only that, but it is also believed that Union Berlin have no interest in sealing a permanent deal to sign Aaronson, meaning he was always likely return to Elland Road at the end of the campaign.

The latest on Brenden Aaronson's Leeds future

Graham Smyth is reporting via The Yorkshire Evening Post that Aaronson is set for a return to Leeds this summer after talks with Farke. He will now be a part of the Championship promotion bid in 2024/25.

Aaronson engaged in "positive" talks with Leeds and Farke, and "his preference was to come back to Leeds to be part of the promotion effort."

Naturally, after exiting in such a manner, the 23-year-old has work to do with the fanbase in getting them back onside, but has already put the groundwork in place to do so with a positive move in the right direction.

That's because The Athletic are reporting that Aaronson still had an active release clause in which he could have left on another loan again, and also had interest in Germany, but instead opted to return to Leeds. That's due to the fact that "the player feels he has unfinished business in England."

Related

"That was quite insulting to us" - Leeds United, Daniel Farke set for U-Turn on €29m signing

The USA international appears set to be given a Leeds lifeline by Daniel Farke this summer.

Leeds' West Brom inspiration

Plenty of young players leave on loan and are reintegrated into their parent club's first-team the next season, but it is uncommon for a more established senior player to be handed the same fate with another opportunity.

Aaronson is a rare case, but two players managed to do the same under Carlos Corberan with West Brom last season: Alex Mowatt and Cedric Kipre. The pair looked as though they had no future at the Hawthorns, after Mowatt spent 2022/23 on loan with Middlesbrough, and Kipre with Cardiff City.

Both impressed out on loan, especially Kipre, and found themselves back at West Brom not knowing what the future held, with both entering the final year of their contracts. Sales looked the most likely outcome in both cases, but Corberan found a place for them in his team last season.

He held talks with the duo and explained that they were a part of his plans for the season. A year on, and we have seen that they were vital players during their play-off bid, with the Baggies finishing fifth and falling just short to Southampton.

It may not go the exact same way for Aaronson, who did not want to remain in West Yorkshire last summer, as opposed to being shown the door in Kipre and Mowatt's case. However, he has a chance to resurrect his career and win the fans over in a big way, now that Farke has handed him a lifeline.

Truthfully, plenty of the players who struggled at Premier League level last season have looked like stars at second tier level for Leeds and Aaronson may well be no different, although he will have to do what Willy Gnonto managed, after the Italian's transfer request last summer.

That proves it is possible, and although Aaronson's departure may well have left a bitter taste in some Leeds fans' mouths, after jumping ship after a highly disappointing season, and that's football. A job offer at a higher level with European football and no repercussions was the obvious thing for him at the time. On paper, it looked like the best move to take his career to the next level.

Now, should the former Salzburg midfielder return to West Yorkshire with the right attitude and a willingness to play for the club, he could shine in the second tier as a key component and genuine asset; one who has the ability to cover a few positions in terms of his versatility and skillset.

He has technical qualities and speed, whilst his engine and work rate cannot be criticised whatsoever. Aaronson's athleticism and agility could see him fill in within a number-eight role, as well as the number-ten position, and has played plenty of his career out wide as well, which could make him a handy utility man.

Aaronson may never make it as a player in English football due to his lack of physicality, as he struggles to shield the ball and draw fouls in the absence of upper body strength, but his ability should shine through in the second tier, where he can potentially get his stagnant career back on track with Leeds.