Leeds United let 32 players leave this summer and Elland Road cast-offs look like play-off contenders

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This summer saw plenty of new faces arrive at Leeds United. However, once again, there were more players going out than in at Elland Road. 

As summarised by the Yorkshire Evening Post recently, Leeds United lost 31 players this summer. That soon went up to 32 when Vurnon Anita’s release was confirmed.

Some were seemingly reluctant sales to raise funds. Pontus Jansson, Kemar Roofe, and Bailey Peacock-Farrell probably fall into that category. Jack Clarke’s move to Tottenham Hotspur was the same, although he has returned to the club on loan.

Then there were the flops. Anita, Yosuke Ideguchi and Laurens De Bock. 

On top of that, there were also young players who perhaps don’t have what it takes for the Leeds first-team. Aapo Halme, Mallik Wilks and Lewie Coyle fall into that category. 

The list does not even include both Eunan O’Kane and Ouasim Bouy. Both are unwanted at Elland Road but remain at the club due to injury and a lack of interest respectively.

But from the players that Leeds United sold this summer, there is genuinely a strong matchday 18 with reserves in store, that might even battle for the play-off places with the right manager. 

Here is how a Leeds United cast-off XI might have looked. 

GK: Bailey Peacock-Farrell

CB: Pontus Jansson

CB: Aapo Halme

RB: Lewie Coyle

LB: Tom Pearce

CM: Yosuke Ideguchi

CM: Vurnon Anita

CAM: Samuel Saiz

RW: Jack Clarke

LW: Mallik Wilks

ST: Kemar Roofe

Here is a full list of the players that moved on from Leeds United this summer, which includes seven full internationals.

GK: Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Joshua Rae; DF: Pontus Jansson, Conor Shaughnessy, Aapo Halme, Paudie O’Connor, Oriol Rey, Hugo Diaz, Tom Pearce, Lewie Coyle, Laurens De Bock, Lucas Odunston, Liam Kitching, Tyler Denton; MF: Jack Clarke (loaned back), Mallik Wilks, Samuel Saiz, Hadi Sacko, Alex Machuca, Yosuke Ideguchi, Clarke Oduor, Vurnon Anita, Callum Nicell, Alex Wollerton; FW: Pawel Cibicki, Kemar Roofe, Caleb Ekuban, Jay-Roy Grot, Rafa Mujica, Adrian Balboa, Sam Dalby, Oliver Sarkic.

Whilst nobody would back the cast-off team against Bielsa’s current crop, the 32-man squad would certainly give the Championship a good punt.