It might not be a priority for Leeds United at the moment, but full-back could soon become an area that Leeds need to strengthen and one player linked with the club is on the move.
Leeds finished the season with Jayden Bogle sparkling on the right and picked in the Championship Team of the Season. Junior Firpo was equally good on the left, with Sam Byram and Isaac Schmidt in reserve.
But two of those four options are scheduled to leave. The retained list confirmed Leeds are in talks with both Firpo and Byram, but as things stand, they will leave the club. Firpo is ‘widely anticipated’ to leave.
Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Milan all want Firpo, while Byram has said he would like to stay but reports suggest Leeds will let Byram go. Schmidt is open to offers having struggled to get any game time.
Photo by Ian Walton/Pool via Getty ImagesMax Aarons confirms he is in on the move with Instagram post
One full-back Leeds are said to be considering is Bournemouth’s Max Aarons. A player linked with a move to Leeds in the past, the former Norwich star made his name during Daniel Farke’s tenure at Carrow Road.
Aarons has endured a difficult spell at Bournemouth under Andoni Iraola and in January, he joined Carlos Corberan’s Valencia on loan. But Aarons only managed five appearances under Marcelo Bielsa’s assistant.
Now, Aarons has confirmed that he is heading back to England with a post on his Instagram, thanking Valencia for his six months in Spain after the La Liga campaign came to an end after a 1-1 draw with Betis.
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How much do Bournemouth want for Max Aarons this summer?
Clearly, Aarons is likely to be on the move this summer after his loan to Valencia failed. The right-back needs to find a club where he is going to play regularly, and that can be Leeds – if he plays on the left.
Last summer, Graeme Bailey told LeedsUnited.News that Bournemouth wanted north of £15m. But that figure will have reduced over the last 12 months, given his lack of games and a year more into his deal.
The issue is, Aarons has a contract until the summer of 2029. A loan is much more likely, for a player that will now be ruing his decision to go to Bournemouth in a late £7m move having agreed to join Leeds.