Vurnon Anita has an uncertain future at Leeds United when he returns from his loan spell at Willem II. The 30-year-old struggled for form and playing time when he joined Leeds from Newcastle United in 2017 and is unlikely to be recalled to the first-team after being deemed surplus to requirements under Marcelo Bielsa.
Anita fell out-of-favour at Elland Road, making only 18 Championship appearances in 2017/18, and spent the second-half of the campaign mostly as an unused substitute. The midfielder was left on the bench 22 times, was left out of the matchday squad six times, and was subbed on or subbed off in 44% of his outings.
Anita didn’t have a positive relationship with Bielsa either, telling Dutch outlet Trouw upon his Leeds departure in August 2018: “Do you know when I last played a match? In April, almost half a year ago. In England I was on a dead end, you do not want to stay with a club where the trainer does not see it.” It’s hard to see the pair reuniting this summer.
Where Anita will go remains to be seen, however. Willem don’t have the option to turn his loan deal permanent this summer, so they’d have to make a separate bid to sign the Netherlands international for whatever price Leeds request.
Anita has played in 26 of the available 29 Eredivisie games for Willem, so they may be keen to keep him. Time will tell. He still has another year on his deal at Elland Road so his future will be in the hands of the club who don’t appear to want him.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Opinion: Leeds could sign £2.3m-a-year defender, player available on a free transfer