Leeds United's released players in full and where they might end up

LEEDS United have announced which players will be leaving the club this summer - so where could those departing end up?
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The YEP has a run through of who is exiting the Whites and what they can offer.

Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi

Hernandez and Berardi are two class acts definitely departing the club this summer and both can clearly benefit sides at the top level.

LOTS TO OFFER: Outgoing Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.LOTS TO OFFER: Outgoing Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.
LOTS TO OFFER: Outgoing Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images.
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Hernandez is now 36 but he won't turn 37 until next summer and the Spanish magician looked as tricky as ever in United's season finale against West Brom.

The playmaker has now returned home to Spain and it would seem logical that he steps out for a new club there although it remains to be seen who and at what level.

Berardi's destination is rather harder to predict as the warrior defender slotted in seamlessly upon finally bagging experience as a Premier League footballer in United's last two games.

Berardi turns 33 this summer and would be well worth a punt for any side looking to bolster their defence and the fact that he can play as a full back or centre back is another string to his bow.

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Hernandez said in an interview with LUTV last week that he would be supporting Leeds from Spain or wherever he was in the future which suggested he would be in his native country but was open to the possibility of being elsewhere.

The playmaker also wished Berardi good luck at his new club but it remains to be seen where that is.

Barry Douglas

Douglas always seems to leave a huge impression upon every club he departs and it will be interesting to see where the popular left back ends up next following his Whites exit and completion of his loan at Blackburn Rovers.

Now 31, Douglas amassed 30 Championship outings for Rovers and perhaps another move to another second tier outfit could be in the offing but the Glaswegian is also very well travelled having also played in Poland and Turkey after beginning his career in Scotland so all options are likely to be open.

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The Scot already has two promotions from the Championship on his CV and might well be back to seek a third.

Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray had spoken about the possibility of signing Douglas after the completion of his loan move but finances at the club are reportedly tight.

Eunan O'Kane

O'Kane has had rotten luck with injuries and his last outing came for Luton Town in September 2018 in a game against Bristol Rovers in which he suffered a double leg break.

O'Kane then featured in Luton's pre-season last summer but did not play during their League Two campaign.

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Fitness is the obvious question mark but the 30-year-old midfielder has seven caps for the Republic of Ireland under his belt and has plenty to offer whoever he signs for next given his considerable experience.

Ouasim Bouy, Cole Gibbon, Niklas Haugland and Matthew Turner

Bouy, Gibbon, Haugland and Turner completed the list of professionals released by Leeds and all of them have time on their side.

Bouy is the eldest of the quartet but still only 27 and he is another player that is already very well travelled.

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Former Dutch youth international Bouy joined the Whites from Juventus in 2017 and signed a four-year deal.

But Bouy did not feature competitively for the Whites and went out for loan spells at Cultural Leonesa and PEC Zwolle.

His last competitive outing came in May 2019 for Zwolle.

Midfielder Gibbon, goalkeeper Turner and Norwegian striker Haugland are all 19 so have all of their careers ahead of them really in addition to the scholars that were released.

Gibbon signed a first professional deal with Leeds in August 2020 but only played three minutes for United's under 23s this season.

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Former Norway Under 18s striker Haugland made the 23s bench just once.

Turner spent this season on loan at Haverfordwest County, playing nine Cymru Premier fixtures.

The scholars

Leeds also released eight scholars in Emmanuel Amissah, Jimiel Chikukwa, William Fewster, Ethan Kachosa, Samuel Leverett, Aaron Pilkington, Maximus Rigby and Cooper Skerry.

Upon releasing their retained list, a club spokesperson said: "We would like to express our thanks to those players who will leave the club in the coming weeks and we wish them every success in the future."

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Thank you Laura Collins

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