Leeds United have five players on their books who are now in the final year of their deals with the club.

Naturally, the 49ers have a decision to make regarding each player in terms of offering them an extension, looking to sell them this summer or in January, or letting them run down their deal until they are a free agent next year.

Each of the players’ value to Daniel Farke’s squad varied drastically last season. Surely this will influence the club’s decision-making when it comes to what’s next for these players.

The Premier League season is on the horizon. So, the 49ers will want to resolve the futures of all five players as soon as possible.

Joe Gelhardt likely to be sold on

Joe Gelhardt, 24, enjoyed a stellar season on loan at Hull last year. The Englishman was a crucial part of their promotion-winning campaign.

In 42 Championship appearances, he netted 15 goals, whilst also providing four assists.

Gelhardt has been loaned away by Leeds on three separate occasions. He was also not included in the squad for our pre-season tour in America. So, it is clear his future does not lie in West Yorkshire.

Birmingham City are reportedly interested in the forward. On paper, it makes sense to sell Gelhardt whilst his stock is high rather than letting him walk out the door for nothing in a year.

Brenden Aaronson should be offered an extension

I’m not Brenden Aaronson’s biggest fan as a player. But as we continue to establish ourselves in the Premier League, I still think the American can play a useful role for the Whites.

Moving forward, he certainly shouldn’t be starting as many games as he did last season. However, the 25-year-old can provide useful cover out on the right wing or as an attacking midfielder.

Aaronson’s energy makes him a useful commodity to sub on later in games. I also wouldn’t be opposed to starting him in those tricky away games when we know we’ll be up against it.

There could be a world in which we outgrow Aaronson and no longer need him if we keep progressing in the Premier League. But I’d cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I’d be happy to keep him around.

Ilia Gruev should be kept around as depth

The injury Ilia Gruev sustained towards the back end of last season effectively meant it would be hard to sell the midfielder this summer. Even if the 49ers wanted to.

We know of Leeds’ admiration for Shea Charles. If the Whites did end up signing another midfielder, Gruev is the player I would have looked to move on.

Gruev is almost in the same boat as Aaronson. I’d be happy keeping him around as depth for now, and he would be useful to sub on when we look to see out games. But again, he shouldn’t be starting regularly.

I think, like Aaronson, if we did renew his contract, we could easily outgrow him if we continue to progress. But at least we’d be able to get a fee for him if Gruev was eventually sold.

Firstly, I’d wait to see how the Bulgarian comes back from his injury, but for now, I’d look to offer him an extension midway through next season. However, I’d be making it clear that he won’t be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Joel Piroe should be sold this summer

There have been reports that have emerged recently that Leeds are in fact looking to sell Joel Piroe this summer. This is the wisest course of action for the 49ers.

The forward was completley ineffective whenever he did play last season in the Premier League. Farke has lost all faith in Piroe, who slid down the pecking order to be our third-choice striker.

Hopefully we can get a respectable fee for the 27-year-old. Similarly with Gelhardt, it seems to be a no-brainer that we should sell Piroe this summer, whilst we still can.

Leeds should wait and see regarding Lukas Nmecha’s future

It was clear last season that Lukas Nmecha will never be the undisputed first-choice striker at Leeds. Despite this, he is certainly a very useful player to have around.

When he’s actually subbed on up top and not shoehorned out on the left wing, he proved he can be very effective.

His hold-up play can leave a lot to be desired at times. But for a backup striker, I doubt we could do much better at the minute.

The reason I wouldn’t be rushing to renew his deal yet depends on whether we bring in another forward this summer. I’d like to see how any potential signing stacks up against Nmecha.

If Nmecha ends up sliding down the pecking order like Piroe, I’d thank him for his services and either sell him in January or let him run his contract down. But if he proves he is still a useful option for Farke to have, I’d offer him an extension.

With Nmecha’s injury record too, it’s also worth considering that the 49ers may be biding their time when it comes to deciding what to do with the striker in the long-term.

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