One player on the books at Leeds United is expected to leave Elland Road in a permanent transfer this summer.
Latest Leeds rumours
The Whites are now gearing up for the Championship playoffs after missing out on automatic promotion to both Leicester City and Ipswich Town.
Daniel Farke’s side aren’t exactly coming into the playoffs in great form either, winning just one of their final six second-tier games. The German’s former side, Norwich City, stand in Leeds’ way ahead of a potential Wembley showdown with either Southampton or West Brom.
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Off the pitch, it emerged over the weekend that famous Hollywood actor Will Ferrell is buying a minority stake in Leeds, something which could help the Whites land another lucrative documentary series. Ferrell is set to join Russell Crowe in part-owning Leeds, as well as golfing stars like Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
In regards to transfer rumours, there could be a number of departures in Yorkshire over the coming weeks, with Luke Ayling confirming he’s probably played his last game for the club as he eyes a permanent transfer to Middlesbrough. Now, another player out on loan is looking likely to leave for good.
Lewis Bate expected to leave Leeds
According to The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Joe Donnohue, midfielder Lewis Bate is expected to leave Leeds on a permanent transfer this summer, three years after arriving from Chelsea. The 21-year-old has been on loan in League Two with MK Dons but suffered a huge playoff setback against Crawley Town, losing the first leg 3-0.
Bate has been a regular for MK Dons since the New Year, playing alongside former Whites forward Max Dean. It isn’t the midfielder’s first taste of football out on loan, though, with Bate spending last season with Oxford United. He impressed former boss Karl Robinson, who waxed lyrical over the player, calling him a “magician”.
"He’s one of the best I’ve worked with, and I mean that. The problem is we’ve got him so young, we’ll be watching him in three or four years’ time running games at the top level – I’m sure of that. The kid’s a magician. He needs goals and assists, that becomes the reason you play in the central area of the football pitch."
Meanwhile, Bate, who has made five senior appearances for the Whites, also came in for praise from Marcelo Bielsa during his time with Leeds, with the Argentine saying: “He’s a player who performs better every time in the games he’s a part of. He’s a player that is constantly managing the ball and he doesn’t lose it very often. And he’s got a good sense of a pass, he can thread it through the needle.”
It looks as if Bate’s days on the books with Leeds are numbered, though, with his contract in Yorkshire set to expire at the end of June.