Leeds United's wait for transfer clarity about to end with bomb squad verdict

July is on the horizon and with it comes an end to June’s indecision and waiting. Leeds United have been in what has felt like a holding pattern since the Championship play-off final, waiting for decisions from coaches and players alike.

July brings urgency and a desire to resolve matters, to have some certainty in what the future might bring. With each passing day, more and more players will be packing their Euro 2024 bags and heading off on belated holidays, but with an eye on what the future may hold.

July also brings pre-season to the Whites. Daniel Farke will welcome the majority of his contracted squad back to Thorp Arch from July 2 and the identity of those reporting in will be quite telling.

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By the time pre-season starts, the contracts of Liam Cooper, Jamie Shackleton and Cody Drameh will have expired. All three have been told there are new deals on the table for them at Elland Road, if they want them, but as time ticks away it seems less and less likely they will stick around.

Cooper’s involvement at Euro 2024, even if he didn’t get on the pitch, will mean he isn’t expected to report back on day one, even if did agree to sign a new deal. If Shackleton and Drameh turn up on day one it’s a sure sign they are signing on, but don’t hold your breath.

The first day of pre-season will be more instructive when it comes to the returning loanees. Brenden Aaronson will still be on the other side of the world, playing with USA at Copa America, but we already know he will eventually return to West Yorkshire and fight for minutes.

Jack Harrison has already agreed to return to Everton for the start of their pre-season, while Rasmus Kristensen and Max Wober will be given a delayed start date because of their Denmark and Austria commitments respectively. It remains to be seen whether they are reintegrated at all.

Marc Roca is one of the loanees who would have been expected back on day one, but his permanent transfer to Real Betis is imminent. Even if his move is not officially announced before pre-season starts, he will not be expected back at Thorp Arch again.

The other four returning from spells away should, in theory, be in place on day one. If they’re not, it makes it clear how Farke sees their futures.

Jeremiah Mullen, Sam Greenwood and Darko Gyabi remain young options on the fringes of Farke’s squad. None of them are going to rock the boat and should be given at least some time this summer to prove themselves to Farke.

There is still a chance all three are elsewhere, permanently or on loan, before September 1, but, at this early stage of the summer, it would be drastic to see them bombed out from the start by the German. Diego Llorente will be, perhaps, the most telling name on day one’s register.

Roma seem to be the most vocal of the clubs interested in the Spaniard, but reports surfaced in Llorente’s homeland yesterday of interest from Betis. If the 30-year-old is with the main group on day one, it is likely to mean Farke sees the possibility of a future with the centre-back.

If Llorente is not with the nucleus of the squad, he will either be training alone, with a group of outgoing players or even abroad still, with instructions to stay away until he has a transfer sorted. There’s not much longer to wait now for a little more certainty on how part two looks under Farke.