Leeds United outcast Maximilian Wober has taken his pre-season preparations into his own hands after being spotted training away from Thorp Arch.
The 28-year-old centre-back has endured a highly frustrating period since moving to Elland Road from Red Bull Salzburg for a reported £11million back in January 2023.
Having long been cast aside by the club, Wober has managed a mere 28 appearances in a white shirt and spent the entirety of last season away on loan with Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.
However, his time in Germany quickly descended into a nightmare. Injury setbacks and fitness issues restricted the defender to just four appearances all year, prompting Bremen to decline their option to make the transfer permanent.
Cruelly, those fitness struggles also saw the forgotten Leeds United man completely miss out on selection for Austria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
With his future up in the air, Austrian newspaper NÖN has revealed that Wober is currently training at the OFB Campus in Seestadt under former Stripfing coach Emin Sulimani.
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The Austria international is using the Younion professional camp – a specialised training camp designed to keep unattached or transitioning players match-fit – to prepare his body for a crucial summer window.
The core principle behind the programme is simple yet vital: structured daily training as a team, coupled with top-tier infrastructure at the OFB Campus.
This collective routine is considered a crucial factor by many top-flight professionals because high-intensity team workloads can hardly be replicated via individual sessions.
The camp layout has evolved far beyond a simple safety net for out-of-contract players. It has transformed into an elite pipeline where players utilise high-intensity environments specifically to manage the gap between major career moves without compromising on training workload.
The setup has rapidly grown in popularity, ballooning from 20 to 30 active players in the space of a single week.
Wober opened up on his current regime, explaining why he has chosen to train away from Yorkshire for the time being.
He told NÖN: “The conditions here are ideal for me. The team training makes all the difference.”
Crucially for Leeds United chiefs looking to shift his wages, the Younion setup boasts an exceptional conversion rate. A large proportion of participants find a new club in a relatively short time, often securing a definitive move within the exact same transfer window.
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Despite his peripheral status, Wober remains under contract at Elland Road until 2027. Leeds United are scheduled to report back to Thorp Arch for official pre-season training on Monday, 13 July.
The fact that Wober is working overtime in a professional camp suggests he is determined to report back to Leeds in peak physical condition.
Given his lack of game time over the past 12 months, showing up to West Yorkshire with high baseline fitness is essential if he wants to facilitate a permanent exit.
Daniel Farke‘s squad has evolved significantly since Wober last featured, and a permanent transfer away remains the most sensible and likely solution for all parties this summer.
If his representatives cannot secure a swift deal using the high-conversion Austrian pipeline, Leeds United fans can expect to see the Austrian back through the doors at Thorp Arch this week.
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