Leeds United manager Daniel Farke made several ruthless decisions over the summer as he reshaped his squad ahead of the club’s Premier League return. Several players were deemed surplus to requirements, while others were allowed to leave on loan.
The Whites spent more than £100m on 10 new signings in the summer transfer window to restructure the squad ahead of the Premier League season. However, more importantly, the club moved on a few players who were not part of Farke’s plans in the 2024/25 campaign.
Leeds needed to bring in strikers in the summer window. However, the situation was compounded once Mateo Joseph made it clear that he wanted to leave and refused to join pre-season.
Farke insisted that he was not welcome back at Elland Road this summer, and Leeds eventually decided to loan him out to Mallorca for a season, without an option to buy.
Leeds United loanee is finding his groove in Spain
Joseph has had a slow start to life at Mallorca. However, the forward is slowly getting back to his groove and is starting to make a real impact in the final third.
He has scored two goals and an assist in his last three league games, and his form has been gradually picking up as he finds his feet in Spain this season.
The striker struggled in England last season, and it is understandable why he wanted to leave Leeds and return to Spain to rekindle his career.
His performances have shown an uptick, and Leeds are hopeful that a positive season in La Liga will lead to something substantial for his future next summer.
Joseph’s off-the-ball game has been improving in Spain, and Leeds must be keeping a close tab on his situation as the club still feel he could have a future at Elland Road.
Leeds will have a decision to make next summer
Real Betis were initially interested in signing the striker on loan, but they were insistent on including an option to buy him at the end of his stint.
However, Leeds were adamant that there would be no mechanism in a loan agreement for a club to sign the striker on a permanent deal.
The Whites want him back at Elland Road next summer, and a deal was eventually agreed once Getafe agreed to the Premier League club’s strict conditions for a deal.
Leeds feel that Joseph will return as an improved player next year, and the club will make a decision on his future following talks with his representatives.
A good loan spell in Spain will likely skyrocket the striker’s value, and Leeds could sell the forward for a much higher price than they would have gotten for him in the last transfer window.
However, there is always a decent chance that he could be reintegrated into the first team squad, like Jack Harrison was last summer.
Joseph has admirers in the Leeds boardroom, with chairman Paraag Marathe believed to be his big supporter.
If the Spaniard continues to impress at Getafe, Leeds stand a chance to either gain a good first-team striker or sell him for a considerable fee next summer.
