Exodus at Elland Road: Who has left Leeds United?
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Who has left Leeds United?
Leeds were relegated after three seasons in the Premier League and there have been plenty of changes both on and off the field at the start of the 2023-24 Championship campaign.
Chairman Andrea Radrizzani agreed a deal to sell his majority stake to American investment group 49ers Enterprises, who own NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers and are minority shareholders in Leeds.
The Whites also appointed former Norwich boss Daniel Farke as their new manager and have been clearing the decks for the new campaign, so with that in mind we’re looking at who has left Leeds United.
Tyler Adams
Leeds’ biggest loss of the transfer window was the departure of USA captain Adams to Bournemouth on a five-year deal.
The 24-year-old midfielder had been linked with both Chelsea and Liverpool during the summer but became the Cherries’ eighth signing of the transfer window under new manager Andoni Iraola for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £23m.
Jack Harrison
The 26-year-old forward joined Everton on a season long loan, although he is yet to make his debut as he continues his rehabiliation from a minor hip injury.
Harrison has scored 34 goals in 206 appearances since joing the clun permanently from Manchester City following three successive loan spells.
Rodrigo
Former club-record signing Rodrigo joined the Elland Road exodus on July 13, although unlike Koch, Llorente and Aaronson his move to Qatari side Al-Rayyan was a permanent deal for a transfer fee believed to be around just £3m.
United splashed out £27m when they signed the Spain forward from Valencia on a four-year deal in 2020 following their return to the Premier League.
The 32-year-old striker went on to make 97 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 28 goals.
Max Wober
The 25-year-old defender joined Borussia Monchengladbach on a season-long loan at the end of July.
The Austrian moved to Elland Road from RB Salzburg during the January transfer window and went on to make 19 appearances in all competitions.
Robin Koch
Koch started the expected exodus by joining Eintracht Frankfurt on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.
The 26-year-old German defender spent three seasons at Elland Road, making 77 appearances.
Koch said on Instagram: “Dear LUFC fans, at this point I look back on three wonderful and exciting years in Leeds. To play for Leeds United and in front of you unforgettable fans, to defend for these colours, to celebrate with you, to even lead the team onto the pitch as captain, was a special honour and pleasure during the last three seasons.
“I wish the club, the city and all of you only the best and hope that you will remember me well. I will definitely do so. Thanks for everything so far! Yours Robin.”
Brenden Aaronson
Midfielder Aaronson joined Koch in the Bundesliga by signing for Union Berlin on a season-long loan.
The USA international, 22, made 36 Premier League appearances for Leeds last season after joining from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee close to £25million in the summer of 2022.
Rasmus Kristensen/Diego Llorente
Danish defender Kristensen and Spanish centre-back Llorente both joined Roma on season-long loans.
Roving right-back Kristensen joined Leeds from RB Salzburg last summer on a five-year contract for £10m and finished the season in style with three goals in the final couple of months.
Llorente, 29, spent the second half of last season with the Italian club, making 12 appearances in all competitions.
A statement from Leeds read: “He now heads back to the Italian capital for a second stint and we wish Diego good luck during his time with Roma.”
Marc Roca
Roca became the sixth United player to leave the club on loan during the summer transfer window.
The 26-year-old midfielder scored once in 36 games following a move from Bayern Munich last summer but will spend next season at Real Betis in his native Spain.
Tyler Roberts
Former West Brom forward Roberts struggled to make an impression under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch, and spent last season on loan at QPR where he scored three goals in 18 Championship appearances.
The Wales striker is staying in the Championship after signing a three-year deal with Birmingham for a fee thought to be around £360,000.
Weston McKennie
The American connection continued last season with the loan signing of McKennie from Juventus, but he returned to Turin at the end of a campaign that left some Leeds fans criticising his weight during the last game of the campaign, a 4-1 home defeat by Tottenham.
Leeds had the option to buy the midfielder which they decided not to activate following their drop into the Championship.
Adam Forshaw
Forshaw’s determination could never be questioned, but his body struggled with multiple hip surgeries over a two-year spell until he finally started playing again in the 2021-22 season.
The feisty midfielder then suffered a fractured kneecap towards the end of that season and made just 12 appearances in Leeds’ final Premier League campaign, so with his contract at an end the Scouser is now a free agent.
Joel Robles
Robles played in the final four games of the season after Sam Allardyce decided to drop regular goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
The 33-year-old Spaniard, who joined the club on a free transfer from Betis last summer, conceded 11 goals during that spell, but his contract was not renewed, although he was invited back to the club for pre-season training.
