Any manager coming in will face the task of assessing the first-team and Under-21 squads at Elland Road ahead of a season back in the Championship.
The new man must make decisions sharply and swiftly if the group is to be trimmed and subsequently supplemented in order to mount a challenge for automatic promotion in 2023/24. This will mean jettisoning a number of players who offer resale value and are unlikely to be content sticking around in the Championship, as well as figuring out which youngsters require a season on loan, perhaps in the Championship or at a level below, to aid with their development.
Those on the fringes at Thorp Arch will mostly return on July 2 for pre-season testing and training, at which point a new manager is expected to have been appointed. In the meantime, it is tricky to make definitive decisions on players’ futures until the identity of the new man at the helm is revealed, as well as his verdict on certain members of the squad.
Fans’ patience has been tested by the hiring process but Leeds are into the final stages of naming their head coach for the new season.
Here are nine players on the fringes who are having to bide their time and, much like the club’s frustrated fanbase, regarding Leeds’ attempts to appoint a manager.
1. Joe Gelhardt
Joe Gelhardt's loan spell at Championship play-off contenders Sunderland did not go as planned, due to factors outside his control, but offered him the opportunity to play regularly in a competitive side during the second half of last season. By now it is clear the youngster is not best suited to a lone centre-forward role and will need assurances over his role at Leeds upon returning to pre-season training next month. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Photo: George Wood
2. Charlie Cresswell
On paper, Cresswell is a shoe-in to play a major role for Leeds next season but his aggressive, front-foot defensive style might not chime with a new head coach, whoever that may be. Additionally, the 20-year-old England Under-21 international is not short of potential suitors and could leave Elland Road if a suitable offer is submitted, as was the case in January this year during his loan spell at Millwall. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) Photo: Henry Browne
3. Lewis Bate
The landscape at Leeds has shifted considerably since Lewis Bate spoke to the YEP about his future whilst on loan at Oxford United. That was back in December, Bate insisting he would sit down with the club to discuss his next steps this summer, whether that be another loan or a mutual parting of ways. Central midfielders are in short supply at Elland Road, while Bate was a leading light for a struggling Oxford side in League One last term, so won't be short of offers considering his contract is up in 12 months. He is one who needs clarification on his importance to the club. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) Photo: Catherine Ivill
4. Sam Greenwood
Greenwood has been in and out of the side under numerous different coaches during his three-year stay at Leeds but even after that length of time, it's unclear what his best position is. A season in the Championship would perhaps shed more light on this conundrum but a new manager could yield yet another positional switch this summer for the 21-year-old. (Photo by STEVE BARDENS/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: STEVE BARDENS
5. Cody Drameh
Drameh's situation is simple: he needs to be provided assurances he will be first-choice right-back at Elland Road next season or he will leave. Luton are interested, as are Burnley and a host of other clubs who could prise him away with only 12 months remaining on his Leeds deal. Only a new manager can provide those playing time guarantees. (Pic: Adam Davy/PA Wire) Photo: Adam Davy
6. Leo Hjelde
Hjelde gained plenty of experience whilst on loan at Rotherham but operated at left-back or on the left-hand side of a back three. Leeds do not use a back three and the wider consensus is that a new left-back is needed. Left-sided centre-backs aren't exactly in short supply either with Max Wober and Liam Cooper still kicking around. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) Photo: George Wood