The eight Leeds United players who are out of contract in 2024; £15m signing, veteran with over 250 apps

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Now that the summer transfer window is done, Leeds United will have to switch their focus towards new contracts.

The Whites have numerous players with a deal expiring in less than 12 months’ time and so cannot afford to wait much longer if they want to keep them.

One of the biggest mistakes of Leeds’ previous ownership was being too loyal to players who had perhaps given as much as they could to the club.

San Francisco 49ers Enterprises will have to be far more ruthless if they are to progress the club forward as they want to, and if that means letting go of long-serving players, so be it.

So, with that in mind, here is a look at the eight out of contract players in 2024 and whether they should be handed a new deal.

Liam Cooper

This is arguably the toughest of the decisions Leeds will face as Cooper is clearly still an excellent leader and a huge part of the dressing room.

However, Cooper has struggled with repeated injury problems for several years now and so there are question marks as to whether he would justify receiving a new deal.

If Leeds were to get promoted this season, it would probably be the right time for a parting of ways.

Luke Ayling

Ayling can probably count himself a little fortunate he was handed a new deal in February based on his performances last season.

Unfortunately, despite the drop in division, the 32-year-old’s form has not got any better and he looks set to be replaced in the starting XI by Djed Spence soon.

With over 250 appearances under his belt for Leeds, Ayling will always be remembered fondly at Elland Road, but regardless of what happens this season, he shouldn’t be handed a new deal.

Stuart Dallas

Another of the stalwarts of Marcelo Bielsa’s team Dallas also has a contract expiring next summer and this will be a really tough decision.

Dallas has been out of action for the last 18 months due to injury and it does not feel like he will be returning anytime soon.

It is almost impossible that Dallas will be the same player if he does ever make a comeback, and so as hard as it may be, Leeds may have to let him go.

Helder Costa

You would expect Costa to secure some sort of move before next summer but interest has been extremely sparse in him since his return from a loan at Al-Ittihad.

Despite having cost £15 million to sign permanently in 2020, there is no chance he will be offered a new deal if he does stick around in West Yorkshire for the next few months.

Jamie Shackleton

Had this question been asked at the start of the summer, a new deal for Shackleton would’ve been a resounding no but his performances this season may have changed that.

Shackleton has started three of Leeds’ first five league games this season and his versatility has been vital to solving Daniel Farke’s selection problems this season.

Offering a new deal may well be dependent on what division Leeds are in come May, as he isn’t good enough for the Premier League but is a good squad player at this level. Could be a ruthless one this.

Ian Poveda

Similarly to Shackleton, the chance of him getting a new deal three months ago was almost impossible but he has shown he can offer something to the squad.

That said, what may count against Poveda is the amount of quality players ahead of him in his position and even despite his start to the season, a new deal still feels unlikely.

Sam Byram

Byram put pen-to-paper on a one-year-deal in the summer to return to Leeds after his release from Norwich City and has already proved he has plenty to offer.

However, whether he is offered an extension at the end of the season is likely to be dependent on how his fitness holds up, and he has already picked up one muscular injury, which isn’t an ideal start.

Lewis Bate

Bate arrived from Chelsea in 2021 with a great deal of promise but it just hasn’t worked out for him at Leeds yet, even though his ability is clear for all to see.

It does not look like Bate will have any chance of breaking into Leeds’ first team this season and after he did not secure a loan during the summer, he has no platform to show what he can do making a contract extension highly unlikely.