Leeds United face a busy summer as they look to strengthen the squad and put the right pieces in place for another Premier League campaign.
However, bringing players in is only one side of the challenge. The club may also need to sanction several departures to help fund further business, especially with the Premier League’s Squad Cost Ratio rules limiting how much flexibility clubs have in the transfer market.
Players such as Pascal Struijk and Wilfried Gnonto could attract sizeable offers, and their sales would provide Leeds with valuable room to manoeuvre financially before the window shuts.
There are also decisions to be made on players who appear to have fallen out of the pecking order under Daniel Farke. Largie Ramazani is one of those facing an uncertain future, and Leeds will be hoping to resolve his situation sooner rather than later as they prepare for the season ahead.
Valencia are playing a patient game to sign Largie Ramazani
Largie Ramazani spent last season on loan at Valencia, after it became clear that he was not going to play much under Daniel Farke in the Premier League.
Valencia want him back, and club chief executive, Ron Gourlay, was in England earlier this month to hold talks with Leeds over a deal to re-sign Ramazani.
However, a big difference exists between the two clubs’ expectations for a deal. Leeds want to sell him for somewhere around £10m, while Valencia would prefer another loan deal.
The Spanish club may be open to a permanent deal as well, but they need Leeds to lower their financial demands.
However, Valencia remain convinced that they will sign Ramazani this summer despite not being close to an agreement with Leeds.
According to El Desmarque, Valencia are not prepared to walk away from the negotiations and are patiently waiting to strike a deal with the Whites.
They are aware that Ramazani wants to return to Valencia, and Leeds will have to sanction a move as he is not part of Farke’s plans at Elland Road.
Leeds should finalise his exit before pre-season
Daniel Farke’s decision to alter Leeds’ system midway through last season proved to be a key factor in the club’s success, but it also left several wide players fighting for relevance.
As Leeds moved away from relying heavily on traditional wingers, players such as Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James found themselves with fewer opportunities, while Noah Okafor was asked to operate in a more central role.
Largie Ramazani was arguably the player most affected by the change. The Belgian winger no longer appears to be a natural fit for Farke’s preferred setup, and Leeds will be hoping to finalise his exit soon.
For everyone involved, an early resolution would be ideal. Neither Leeds nor Ramazani will want uncertainty lingering over pre-season and disrupting preparations for the new campaign.
There has also been a feeling for some time that Farke was never completely convinced by the winger, even during the club’s successful Championship season. Reports of concerns over Ramazani’s attitude during his previous spell at Valencia are unlikely to have helped his standing either.
With pre-season now just around the corner, Leeds will be keen to sort out Ramazani’s future as quickly as possible and avoid carrying an unresolved situation into the summer.
