Daniel Farke reveals £40m example certain Leeds United players could emulate on Elland Road return

Several Leeds youngsters have departed on loan this season, an avenue which often leads to more permanent switches as squads evolve and coaches prioritise the players they have worked with more closely. However, Leeds manager Daniel Farke has not turned a blind eye to those currently representing other teams until the end of the season, even if his primary focus is on promotion from the Championship in the short-term.

The German spoke at length about the mid-and-long-term aims of the club upon signing a four-year deal at Elland Road last July and is keen to stick around for the long-haul, admitting earlier in the season that he had begun to fall in love with Leeds as an organisation.

While that sentiment may not always be shared by those on the fringes of first-team football in LS11, Farke is hopeful those returning this summer can mirror the achievements of James Maddison from his time at Norwich City under the 47-year-old manager.

Recently signed by Tottenham Hotspur for £40 million, Maddison originally came through the academy setup at Coventry City going on to join Norwich and then Leicester City with whom he lifted the FA Cup trophy. During his early days at Carrow Road, though, Maddison was farmed out on loan to Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen, where Farke feels he matured and developed as a player and a person.

"Sometimes, young players have to grow by being in the first team environment and being involved in the training but also improve by the training and the training intensity and quality," Farke said recently. "If a young player is there with us for quite a long time and is struggling to get some game time then it is beneficial to send him out on loan and good experiences.

"When I think about my former club, we sent James Maddison for example out on loan and he came back after a tough spell in Scotland having grown up in his personality and was a different type of player. We have done this with several young players and sometimes this is a good choice."

Leeds currently have 16 players out on loan, although only the likes of Jeremiah Mullen and Darko Gyabi are realistically expected to rejoin Farke's group come the start of next season. There is the possibility certain members of last summer's first-team loan exodus could return if unable to secure permanent exits, but there can be no guarantee. Others, such as Sam Greenwood, Ian Poveda and Luke Ayling, are either out of contract come the end of the campaign or have buy options in their existing loan deals.

Players sent on loan rarely return to the first-team fold and feature prominently, especially given the team's current run of form which stretched to eight games unbeaten on Tuesday night. But for Gyabi in particular, an England Under-20 international signed for £5 million and by all accounts settling into life well under a diligent coach at Plymouth Argyle, there is an opportunity to stake a claim upon reporting back to Elland Road.