TEAMtalk knows that Leeds United are willing to grant Luke Ayling a new one-year contract, and that Daniel Farke will shortly decide the destiny of two other senior players.
The Whites appear to have found their footing under Farke, who has immediately won over Leeds fans with his football style and no-nonsense attitude to dealing with players. And, with things appearing to be improving, Leeds entered the current international break fifth in the table, with five victories and only two defeats from 11 games played.
While the Whites are still nine points behind Ipswich for the second automatic promotion slot, there is rising optimism at Elland Road that Farke can lead Leeds back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. A challenging journey to Farke’s previous club Norwich at Carrow Road immediately following the international break will demonstrate how true that belief is, and will present Leeds with the type of match they will need to win if they are to seriously challenge.
Leeds will be looking for their third consecutive Championship victory and fourth in five games, with just a deserved defeat at Southampton blotting their record recently.
Indeed, Leeds only had one outfield player in their starting lineup the last time they hit the pitch – a 2-1 win against Bristol City at Elland Road – Pascal Struijk, who had played for Leeds the previous time they achieved promotion under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020.
To that aim, three of its most experienced performers, Ayling, Liam Cooper, and Stuart Dallas, who were crucial to their success four seasons ago, will be out of contract next summer and eligible for free transfers.
Farke has decided to extend Luke Ayling’s contract at Leeds United.
TEAMtalk understands that Leeds have already informed one of those, Ayling, that he will be handed new terms in January.
While he may not be the force he once was, the enormously popular star remains one of Farke’s most trusted players, having appeared 11 times this season.
Indeed, Farke, who started teenage prospect Archie Gray at right-back last time out, with the 17-year-old earning Man of the Match honours, is clear that Leeds still require a number of experienced voices around the club if they are to contend for promotion.
And, regardless of the tier Leeds play in next season, we understand Farke wants to keep Ayling around for another year, even if the 32-year-old is no longer considered first choice.
Ayling is well-established in the city with his young family, and we believe he is eager to engage into new terms.
The Whites did add Djed Spence on a season’s loan from Tottenham in the summer, with the idea of gradually replacing Ayling. But his effect on the field and in the locker room is as powerful as ever, and Farke is content to have him around for a little while longer.
Leeds have yet to make a decision on Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper.
It’s a similar story with Dallas and Cooper, who are both out of contract on June 30, 2024.
Along with Ayling, the pair have played important roles in the Leeds United story in recent seasons. To that end, the trio has made nearly 800 appearances for Leeds.
Cooper and Dallas, unlike Ayling, have yet to make a decision on their futures.
Dallas, for example, has not played for Leeds since April 2022, when he suffered a horrific double leg fracture at Elland Road against Manchester City.
Leeds have monitored his rehabilitation cautiously, taking care not to hurry back a player who was one of the club’s top talents at the time. Needless to say, injuries like his must be managed with extreme sensitivity, and Leeds will wait to see how things go with Dallas before choosing whether to extend his contract.
Cooper, meanwhile, is Leeds’ longest-serving player, having joined the Whites from Chesterfield in a £600,000 transfer in the summer of 2014, at the behest of former owner Massimo Cellino.
Cooper, who is in his tenth season at Elland Road, has made 268 appearances for the Whites, many of them as captain.
While the player is no longer considered first choice (Farke prefers a Joe Rodon-Struijk combo in the centre of defence), he has appeared three times this season.
Farke will make the final decision on Leeds’ captain.
That may or may not be enough to entice Farke to hand him a new contract, and much will depend on how the next few months play out.
According to The Athletic, it is not out of the question that Leeds look to extend his stay by another year, with Farke fully aware of, and thankful of, the authority the 32-year-old holds at the club.
Over the summer, Al Qadsiah, a Saudi Arabian second-tier club, expressed interest in Cooper. The move, however, never got off the ground, with Cooper’s foot injury in the season opener against Cardiff putting an end to those ambitions.
However, the club, controlled by former Leeds and Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, is said to be still interested in him, and a new approach cannot be ruled out.
Nonetheless, Leeds is considering offering Cooper a fresh 12-month contract in order to keep him at Elland Road until 2025. However, conversations over such an offer are unlikely to begin until at least January, when Leeds will have a better idea of their objectives and future plans.
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