Looks like his ordeal could finally be about to end.
Having found himself frozen out under Marcelo Bielsa, it looks as if Belgian defender Laurens De Bock has finally found a way out of Elland Road.
According to HLN in Belgium, De Bock is set to sign for Greek Aris FC on a season-long loan deal, however they will have the option of making the deal permanent next summer if things all go well for him.
Having initially joined Leeds United in January 2018 from Club Brugge. Having initially gone straight into the first team under Thomas Christensen and Paul Heckingbottom, he quickly found himself on the outside looking in as he soon found himself out of the starting eleven. With a new regime however did not come a new chance to impress himself as he was once again shipped out on loan, this time to KV Oostende in Belgium, where he made 23 appearances in all competitions.
However, what I find interesting is that it’s only a loan deal initially. If he is at a stage where he has no future at the club, why haven’t the club hold out for or insist on a permanent transfer this summer? You never know when you might need those funds.
As Phil Hay reported last week, Leeds aren’t exactly rolling in money when it comes to the transfer budget, so it’s not as if they can afford to pass up any funds that could come their way. Yes, his wages are likely to have been taken care of as part of the deal, but a couple more hundred thousand pounds could have been more useful this winter than having to wait until next summer. I’m not saying the club would and could have got exactly as much as his £900k value on Transfermarkt, but surely they could have got something for him now.
Yes, Leeds have started well this season, but they did so last year and we saw what a lack of investment in January last year resulted in. Is this just a case of the Leeds board not thinking long-term when it comes to selling the players?