New sporting director talks up 'exciting' Leeds United January transfer possibility at odds with Farke's wishes

Wöber has played just three times for Leeds this season and was yet again an unused substitute in United's 1-0 defeat by Blackburn Rovers at the weekend, after two cameos off the bench during wins over Swansea City and Luton Town, his first league appearances of the campaign.

The Austrian international has retained his place in Ralf Rangnick's national team squad following Leeds' relegation from the Premier League but due to the form and availability of first-choice defensive pairing Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon at Elland Road, has found club minutes hard to come by.

Injuries have not helped Wöber's case, missing several matches earlier this season after undergoing knee surgery, but even upon returning to fitness the 26-year-old remains behind Struijk and Rodon in the pecking order.

The defender was reportedly keen on an exit over the summer but a permanent move to former loan club Borussia Monchengladbach did not materialise. Leeds were holding out for a fee north of what the Bundesliga side deemed value for money and consequently, Wober stayed at Elland Road.

Now, previous employer Red Bull Salzburg have emerged as a potential destination for the Austrian, at least according to new sporting director Schröder.

“They are two very good players," the director said of Wöber and Feyenoord's Gernot Trauner when asked by newspaper Kurier. "We have a young team, so experienced players are of course exciting. But a lot of points have to be right, and we’ll examine transfers carefully."

The 49-year-old was only recently appointed to the position 'managing director of sport' in Salzburg. He has previously held roles as sporting director and head of sport at SV Werder Bremen, 1. FSV Mainz, Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig.

Wöber played for Salzburg between 2019 and 2023 before joining Leeds in the Premier League. He made 125 appearances for the club, scoring nine times.

While Wöber may be on Salzburg's wishlist, the ball remains firmly in Leeds' court with the 30-cap international defender contracted until June 2027. Daniel Farke said last week that he expects a quiet January transfer window and is unlikely to sanction the Austrian's outgoing given it would leave United short of options in defence. Currently, Wober is one of three options at left-back and the club's second choice left-sided centre-back, behind Struijk.

“We stay awake but at the minute there’s no need to hurry anything," Farke said. "I want a pretty, pretty quiet January. We are also prepared in case we have to react.”

Leeds have a Red Bull connection of their own after the energy drink giant purchased a significant minority stake in the club earlier this year. So far, a direct link between Leeds and other clubs in the Red Bull network is yet to be explored.

Subscribe to Inside Elland Road, with Graham Smyth for unique, behind-the-scenes Leeds United coverage, expert analysis and exclusive interviews