Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde is all set to move to Sunderland before the end of this month.
According to transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, the Whites have reached an agreement with Sunderland over the sale of the full-back, with the deal costing around £2m.
The Toffees have given the “green light” for the transfer to go through, and he has also accepted the contract proposal from the club. Luke Ayling and Djed Spence already left the club this month and it appears that Hjelde is on his way out as well.
The 20-year-old fell out of favour of manager Daniel Farke and Leeds will be happy to pocket a transfer fee for him. According to Adam Pope, the young defender is expected to complete the move within the next 48 hours.
Not a big surprise
Hjelde’s departure will not come as a big surprise to many. He is a promising young talent, no doubt, but there is a feeling that he’s not good enough for the senior team.
He showed glimpses of potential but he failed to establish himself in the first-team since his arrival from Celtic in August 2021. He has mostly spent time playing for the U21 and U-23 side, and has made eight senior appearances for the Whites already.
While there is always a chance that the youngster could blossom into a top-quality player in the future, the reality is there is hardly any room for his growth and improvement in the current Leeds set-up.
He spent loan spell at Rotherham United last season, and Farke didn’t seem too impressed with him. At a time, when the Whites lacked depth in their full-back areas, Farke hasn’t used Hjlede, rather he has called upon young Archie Gray to deputise in the position.
This is a clear indication that the player is not the manager’s plan, and his exit is now only a matter of time.
