Leeds United transfer pieces helpfully fall into place for Farke ahead of pre-season

Puzzle pieces will gradually fall into place for Daniel Farke as this summer finally gathers some pace over the coming weeks. June is always the quietest month of the year in club football, as holidays and international tournaments dominate the agenda, but as July appears on the horizon, the brief hibernation ends.

Luke Ayling and Lewis Bate have already secured their next clubs as their United contracts expire, while Marc Roca is also expected to finally complete his protracted transfer to Real Betis in the coming days. Jack Harrison will be the first of what will hopefully be far fewer loan exits this summer too.

Harrison is understood to be one of only two Leeds players with active loan clauses in this summer transfer window. United’s stay in the Championship activated it once again, paving the way for Everton and the winger to get a second consecutive loan spell sorted fairly quickly.

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Provided the Toffees, or any other club, were willing to pay the 27-year-old’s wages in full, the Whites would have been powerless to stop a loan from happening. Elland Road was open to a permanent sale, but the Merseyside outfit have concluded the one-year option this week.

Farke would not have expected to have Harrison at his disposal next season, nor Roca, but they are at least two more loose ends that can be tied off in the manager’s mind. To some extent, Farke will be pleased to have their futures resolved before pre-season starts.

It gives Farke more certainty in this entirely unpredictable industry. He will know anything could have happened with those two this summer, but, as it is, he can now confidently plan ahead, knowing their wages are off the books.

The return of Farke and his players to pre-season from July 1 will get more plates spinning in the recruitment department. As club football, across the piste, awakens, decisions will start to get made on ins and outs, which will set off the dominoes that effect United’s business.

Harrison and Roca are early bonuses.