Leeds United news: Whites ‘will be happy’ to offload star as ‘target’ finds new club

Leeds United’s pre-season has officially begun with players having returned for early testing.

Daniel Farke is expected to join them in the coming days amid his likely appointment. The German will have a tough job on his hands amid a likely big turnover at Elland Road this summer, with plenty of exits and incomings expected ahead of the new season as the club adapts to life back in the Championship.

Here we round up all the latest news surrounding Elland Road as pre-season takes hold.

Koch claim

Leeds are said to be happy to lose defender Robin Koch ahead of the new season.

It’s likely there will be plenty of exits at Elland Road ahead of the new season, and according to The Athletic, the Whites will be ‘happy’ to get Koch’s large wages off the wage bill. It comes amid Koch’s possible move to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan, though a deal has not been completed just yet.

The report claims Leeds are keen to secure a loan fee on top

Leeds’ pre-season begins

Leeds United begin their pre-season schedule today with customary physical testing supervised by the club’s medicine and performance staff at Leeds Beckett University.

Several members of the Whites’ first-team squad are due to reassemble for pre-season testing this morning as the countdown to the first game of the season officially begins. It is just under five weeks until the Whites kick off their Championship campaign at home to Cardiff City and despite not yet having named a head coach, an announcement is expected this week in conjunction with news of United’s takeover being approved by the EFL.

While 49ers Enterprises’ acquisition of the club reaches its final stage, Leeds’ players’ focus will be on preparing as best they can for what could prove to be a gruelling 46-game campaign. The goal, whether explicitly stated or not, is to gain promotion by any means necessary and return to the top flight after last season’s disappointing 19th placed finish.

Illias goes elsewhere

One-time Leeds United transfer target Ilias Akhomach has joined Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer from Barcelona.

The teenage winger had been linked with a free transfer to Elland Road this summer, a prospective move believed to have been heavily influenced by the presence of Spanish director of football Victor Orta and compatriot Javi Gracia.

A graduate of Barcelona’s fabled ‘La Masia’ academy, Akhomach made a handful of appearances for the Catalan giants before deciding to pursue his career elsewhere, opting not to extend his contract at Camp Nou.

According to reports in Spain, Orta had arranged a transfer agreement with the player and his representatives before he exited Elland Road by mutual consent towards the end of last season.

It is said that Orta and Gracia’s simultaneous departure led to Akhomach’s deal falling through. Spanish outlet Sport claimed an agreement had been definitively struck with Leeds before a U-turn was made.