Lewis Bate and Leo Hjelde are both available for sale when the January transfer window opens for Leeds United.
After a strong preseason, Hjelde started Leeds’ opening two games of the season against Cardiff City and Shrewsbury Town, earning a spot in Daniel Farke’s starting lineup.
Hjelde, nevertheless, was hooked at halftime in both games, and he hasn’t played for the U21s since. His only appearance since then was in the Carabao Cup loss to Salford City.
While Bate played a few minutes against Shrewsbury back in August, Farke hasn’t really given him much of a chance since his loan stint at Oxford United last season.
Furthermore, Leeds is’very open’ to interest in both players next month, with neither player close to joining the first team, according to Phil Hay’s most recent story for the Athletic.
Leeds lost out on the development of Bate and Hjelde.
Despite being pretty near under Jesse Marsch back in the 2021–2022 season, Bate’s contract with Leeds expires in the summer, and it is evident that they have decided he won’t play at Elland Road.
Leeds committed a grave mistake by not sending Bate out on loan in the summer, allowing him to build on his first complete season at senior level with Oxford, given that it was evident early on that Bate was not part of Farke’s plans.
It seems senseless to have kept him around to play U21 football, which he has already outgrown, considering Leeds is rumoured to have received numerous bids from him earlier this year.
Hjelde, on the other hand, has fallen far down the hierarchy despite left-back injuries since he regrettably missed his first team opportunity earlier in the season.
Hjelde is actually better suited at center-back, where he has never been given an opportunity, given his size and physique. Once more, Leeds ought to have done that by sending him out on loan during the summer.
