Leeds United’s Max Wober has admitted his future at Elland Road is ‘out of his hands’ despite impressing on his Bundesliga loan spell, as reported by Laola 7.
Wober signed for Leeds in January; at the time, the fee was undisclosed but reported to be in the region of £11 million. It also had a clause that allowed him to leave on loan should the club be relegated. The club were relegated, and that led to a loan spell in Germany with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
He’s become something of a fan favourite with Die Fohlen, and his head of first-team football there, Nils Schmadtke, has already hinted that a move could be made permanent. He’s played 13 times for his temporary side and has recently been on international duty with Austria. In the recent report, the fullback admitted he is settled in Germany, as it shares many traits with his homeland.
“The quality of life is exactly the same as in Austria,” he said. “In England, for example, you could already tell that there was a difference in the food.”
Despite that, Wober has admitted he is keeping a keen eye on the form of the Whites, and if they are promoted, a return will be taken out of his hands.
“Leeds are doing very well. They play really cool football, it’s fun to watch. If they keep going like this, everything looks like they’ll be promoted. Then the whole thing isn’t really in my hands,”
By being out of his hands, he refers to a report from German outlet Rheinische Post that suggests he will only move to Mönchengladbach permanently if Leeds are unable to bounce back into the top flight. If they go up, the clause that allowed his release will activate a recall, and he will link back up with his former teammates at Elland Road.
The Whites are currently third in the table, eight points adrift of the top two, and firmly embroiled in a promotion push.
Wober began his career with Rapid Wien, playing for their B team, before ascending to the senior side. In August 2017, a transfer fee of €7.5 million with Ajax for his services, and 18 months later, a reported fee of €10.5 million took him to Spain and Sevilla.
The price kept going up – Red Bull Salzburg took him home six months later for a reported fee of €12 million, making him the most expensive player in Austrian Bundesliga history.
Writer’s View
It must be tough from a player’s perspective, having your future taken out of your hands. It’s an interesting interview because he’s been very respectful of Leeds, but it does feel like he’s found a home in Dusseldorf, where he is based.
Of course, if he returns to Leeds, he’ll be a huge asset, but if they don’t go up, they’re sure to seek a sale to reinvest some of the funds. He only appeared 19 times for the Whites, and whilst they’ve clearly let him go out with a view to going straight back up, they’ll almost certainly reevaluate that in May.
Even if they do go up, they may feel a transfer is best for all parties. It would be a surprise if he does turn out for Leeds again, but you just never know in football.
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