Why Max Aarons will be wishing he chose Leeds United over Bournemouth in the summer of 2023

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Back in the summer of 2023, Leeds United were closing in on a reunion between Daniel Farke and Max Aarons but at the eleventh hour, Aarons chose to reject Leeds.

Phil Hay reported at the time Leeds were confident of a £12m deal for Aarons. The deal was even at the medical stage as Daniel Farke looked to reunite himself with one of his old Norwich academy sensations.

But Bournemouth came calling and Aarons chose to move to the Premier League with the Cherries. Even after the debacle of a late rejection of Leeds, Aarons went public in apologising to his old gaffer Farke.

However, since Aarons joined Bournemouth for an initial £9m, he has endured a difficult time since his move to The Vitality alongside Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook under manager Andoni Iraola.

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Max Aarons will surely be wishing he chose to join Leeds United

Clearly, a spur of the moment decision that saw Aarons opt overnight to join Bournemouth. But maybe, a decision he rushed. With the guidance of hindsight, not a choice he will have made in that position again.

Aarons managed only 23 outings last season, 15 of which were starts. This time around, the right-back has failed to play a single minute for Bournemouth, failing to make the squad in six of 11 league games.

Would Aarons have been a better signing than Jayden Bogle?

Since then, Aarons has been linked with a move to Leeds from Bournemouth. But the Cherries wanted £15m in the summer and instead, Leeds chose to pay £5m to sign Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United.

The stats show while Aarons has won more promotions, Bogle is the better player in the Championship. More clean sheets despite less games, and plenty more end product in the final third than rival Aarons.

Aarons would have been a stunning signing but to get Bogle for less than half what Leeds were due to pay for Aarons in the summer of 2023, it is a bargain. Hopefully, Bogle can start to defend slightly better.