Premier League football will return to Elland Road next season after the Whites secured their top-flight safety with games to spare this season.
Leeds have an opportunity to end their season on a high and relegate West Ham when they take on the Hammers at the London Stadium in the final game of the season later today.
The Whites secured their Premier League survival with games to spare and could finish as high as 11th in the final league table if results go their way.
However, a former Leeds star’s hopes of playing at Elland Road again in the Premier League were dashed on Saturday after what happened at Wembley.
Luke Ayling won’t be returning to Elland Road next season
Middlesbrough suffered heartbreak when Ollie McBurnie scored deep in injury time to win Hull City the Championship playoff final at Wembley.
While two former Leeds stars will now return to Elland Road when Hull play Leeds in the Premier League, it meant heartbreak for Luke Ayling.
The former Leeds defender was a massive part of Marcelo Bielsa’s team that won promotion in 2020 and even established himself in the Premier League.
He is still highly regarded at Elland Road, where he became a real fan favourite before eventually leaving the club to join Middlesbrough.
His dream of returning to Elland Road and playing against Leeds in the Premier League lay in tatters after the final whistle at Wembley on Saturday.
Ayling and his Middlesbrough teammates looked despondent to lose the big game after a turbulent week that saw them play the final following Southampton’s expulsion.
They will now hope to pick up the pieces and go again next season as Middlesbrough’s wait for promotion to the Premier League continues.
Joe Gelhardt’s transfer now seems inevitable
Gelhardt has been Hull’s most effective forward this season, and his goals and assists played a huge role in the Tigers sneaking into the playoff spots.
Hull have not hidden their interest in signing the forward on a permanent deal from Leeds at the end of the season.
And now, since they are in the Premier League, the Tigers can surely afford to pay a significant fee to sign Gelhardt on a permanent deal in the summer.
Leeds will be looking to maximise their profits given Gelhardt’s form this season and look to get a good fee before agreeing to his permanent departure.
Gelhardt has also been vocal about his interest in returning to Hull, and his transfer away from Leeds is now only a matter of time.
