Right now, the focus of Leeds United fans is on who the club are signing and whether Daniel Farke’s squad will be ready for the start of the Premier League campaign in just over a month.
But for the current players, that means there is an anxiety going into the new season. Especially for those who are not automatic starting players under Daniel Farke, like Joe Rodon, Ao Tanaka or Dan James.
New signings coming in could see the current squad fall down the pecking order or even sold to make room. Plenty are in this category ahead of Leeds’ opener against Everton at Elland Road on August 18.
Farke’s record in the transfer market has been excellent, nabbing the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Tanaka, Rodon, Jayden Bogle and others for small fees and getting the best out of them. Ilia Gruev was cheap.
Ilia Gruev doesn’t think Leeds fans have seen his best, yet
Bought for a measly £4m from Werder Bremen in the summer of 2023, it was clear that Bulgaria star Gruev was very much a Farke signing. Farke’s extensive knowledge of German football is proving crucial.
Gruev has since played 60 times for Leeds, warming the bench for The Whites during his first six months and spending four months out injured in the second. Now, the Premier League beckons for Gruev.
Speaking to Forbes Bulgaria this week, Gruev doesn’t think he’s hit his peak yet but with the Premier League on the horizon, he believes that the bigger the level, the better he will become at Elland Road.
“The successes of recent years make me hungry for more. I believe that the peak of my career is yet to come, and I feel deep down that the more successful you are, the more you want to achieve,” he said.
Why Ilia Gruev’s future is in doubt at Leeds United…
Gruev has entered the final two years of a four-year deal he signed at Elland Road. With Leeds now up, The Whites are being linked with numerous midfielders including Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach.
Signings such as these – with two new midfielders expected after the losses of Josuha Guilavogui and Joe Rothwell – would see Gruev fall down the pecking order. That is despite being a picture of trust for Farke.
When Leeds played tougher games last season, especially away from home, it would be Gruev that got the nod when fit. Burnley away, for example. But new signings could see Gruev fall down the rankings.
His future is also in doubt after telling Bulgarian media recently that players in the National Team need to play regularly. By his own ethos, he may have to leave Leeds this summer if he is to play regularly.
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