On Tuesday night, Turkey eliminated Max Wober’s Austria from the Euro 2024 competition.
Max Wober‘s next career move must be far from the forefront of his thoughts right now. The Leeds United player was part of the Austria squad who saw their Euro 2024 aspirations dashed on Tuesday night.
Ralf Rangnick‘s side were the tournament’s surprise stars through the group stages, but they ran out of steam in the knockouts, losing 2-1 to Turkey in Leipzig. It was a difficult outcome for those concerned, and Wober was one of several who appeared sad after the full-time whistle blew.
The loss may take some time to recover from, and as Turkey advances to the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, Austria’s players will pack their bags and return home. Wober will most certainly be thinking about going on a vacation to get away from the game and unwind in a warmer climate.
However, his destiny will soon become clear as he must make a decision. Indeed, the Whites have already begun pre-season training in preparation for the Championship season, which begins on August 10, and Wober is anticipated to report to Thorp Arch in just a few weeks.
It’s probably safe to assume that neither Leeds nor Wober intended to find themselves in this scenario. After spending the most of preseason with Leeds last summer, the 26-year-old joined Borussia Monchengladbach on loan for the 2023-24 season.
The idea at the time was that the move would be permanent after his loan period ended, and Leeds has seen a number of individuals who left the club on loan last summer gain permanent contracts elsewhere, including Luis Sinisterra, Robin Koch, and Marc Roca.
However, despite his success in the Bundesliga, Wober‘s future remains unknown. Gladbach have apparently expressed interest in the versatile centre-back, but it appears that they lack the necessary finances to secure a deal, with a mooted fee of €15 million deemed out of their budget.
It means Wober has two things to consider when he relaxes on his sun chair. He has two options: locate a club that can fulfil the demands of Leeds, where he still has three years on his deal, or approach Daniel Farke to discuss the prospect of a second chance at Elland Road.
The management has set a precedent for returning players by bringing Brenden Aaronson back into the first-team mix, and there are advantages to handling Wober’s predicament in a same manner. The Whites are low on defensive alternatives, and his versatility and experience might be beneficial throughout a 46-game season as Leeds seek promotion for the second time around.
That decision, however, is Farke‘s, and the manager must also make a decision about Rasmus Kristensen‘s future, who is in the same situation after a loan term at Roma.
Wober stated before departing for Euro 2024 that he did not want to ponder about his future until after the tournament, and he instructed his agency not to contact him while Austria was still playing. Their elimination, however, signals that the Austrian will begin to consider his immediate future soon, and it appears that we will have clarity on his condition before long.
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