Leeds £11 million On one condition, United Star might return to the club.
Maximilian Wöber, Leeds United’s on-loan defender, might return to the Championship club this summer if the Lilywhites are promoted back to the Premier League.
The Austria international joined Leeds last January for a record £11 million from RB Salzburg, where he had previously worked with then-Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch.
Wöber’s appointment, however, was insufficient to fill holes in Leeds’ sinking ship, as the Yorkshire club was relegated to the Championship after only three seasons in the English top division.
When he first joined the club nine months ago, a clause was added to his contract that permitted him to leave if Leeds United were relegated to the second division. Finally, the 25-year-old secured a loan move to Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Wöber has been a fan favorite at Borussia Park, and the club’s head of first-team football, Nils Schmadtke, has even hinted that a permanent move for the centre-back is possible.
“Everything happens in its own time,” Schmadtke remarked when asked if Wöber’s loan contract would be renewed.
However, according to Rheinische Post (via Caught Offside), the former Ajax defender will only join Mönchengladbach on a permanent basis if Leeds United fail to regain promotion to the top flight of English football.
If the Lilywhites are promoted to the Premier League in 2024/25, Wöber will be compelled to return to Elland Road once his contract in Germany expires.
Leeds United hold the cards here if the club returns to the top division, as the board can demand whatever price they feel reasonable for a player of Wöber’s caliber.
However, if they do not, the parachute payments for next season would be drastically reduced, which means they may be obliged to sell key players, such as Wöber, in order to recover finances to add more talent.
