The Athletic’s Leeds United reporter Phil Hay says that at least four more of the club’s young players could leave Elland Road on loan during the summer transfer window.
Teenage striker Ryan Edmondson has already joined Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen on a temporary basis until January, and Hay believes that there will be more who follow in the coming weeks.
Speaking about the possibility of seeing more loan departures from Leeds during the summer transfer window, on The Phil Hay Show podcast on The Athletic, the journalist said: “I think we will. He’s has been quite resistant to it previously, Bielsa, because he’s always felt it’s better for him to have the players close and to have them training with him than to go out and get games for the sake of it.
“When you look at the development of the kids you can see it has been effective.”
Identifying those who could make similar moves to Edmondson before the start of the new season, and discussing what that could mean for the club’s Under 23 side, Hay added: “But I don’t think Edmondson will be the last to go on loan. I could well see the likes of [Leif] Davis, [Robbie] Gotts, [Jordan] Stevens, Alfie McCalmont as well… opportunities being found for them.
“I think we’ll also see a steady influx of Under-23s signings this summer.”
It would be good to see some loan moves such as these over the next few weeks and months.
With it being absolutely crucial that Leeds are competitive in the Premier League next season, it is hard to see there being too many opportunities for these young, inexperienced players over the course of next season.
As a result, loan moves elsewhere could certainly be beneficial to the likes of this quartet, giving them the chance to enjoy more regular first-team football that ought to help them improve as players, turning them into even bigger assets for Leeds when they return to Elland Road.
Indeed, moving these players on could also help create space in the squad for one or two senior recruits this summer ahead of that return to the top-flight, meaning securing these loan moves could be absolutely vital for the Whites.