Leeds United may be forced into sanctioning a ‘bargain’ exit for £12.5m player if Daniel Farke fails to secure promotion

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Back in the summer, Leeds United sold eight players on a permanent basis and plenty more on free transfers while five left on loan – but already, the Whites could be forced into another sale.

Play-off final defeat at Wembley did not stop Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter winning a place in the Premier League as the trio joined West Ham, Tottenham and Brighton for big fees.

Glen Kamara is struggling in France after his move to Rennes, while Charlie Cresswell has endured an up and down start to life at Toulouse. Marc Roca and Diego Llorente were sold on the cheap to Real Betis.

Kris Klaesson did join Polish side Rakow, but is now at AGF Aarhus after his contract was terminated. Five others left on loan in Jack Harrison, Sonny Perkins, Sam Greenwood, Darko Gyabi and Rasmus Kristensen.

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Leeds may be forced into bargain Rasmus Kristensen sale

Unlike Kamara or Jack Harrison who has now gone nine months without a goal for Everton, Kristensen is thriving at Frankfurt alongside Robin Koch. Kristensen has started 12 of Frankfurt’s 14 games this term.

He has missed the last two injured, but Frankfurt want Kristensen permanently. Ben Jacobs has delivered an update to Give Me Sport – claiming failure to get promotion could see Kristensen go on the cheap.

“Kristensen has impressed Frankfurt both on and off the field and it’s a shame he’s picked up a muscle injury. Kristensen has proven reliable, and Frankfurt also view him as a positive dressing-room influence.

“There is a chance they try to sign him permanently, but it’s likely they try to negotiate the €15m option. If Leeds don’t go up, Frankfurt might be able to do a bargain deal but it’s too early to tell right now.”

Promotion saves Leeds repeating Roca and Llorente mistake

The Spanish duo arrived at Leeds two years apart. Llorente from Real Sociedad for a whopping £18m fee, having earned Spain caps and played for Real Madrid. Roca from Bayern in 2022, for a figure of £10m.

While Leeds clocked up £7m from the sales of Roca and Llorente, they made a loss of £21m. Had Leeds been promoted, those fees would surely have been a lot higher and it could be the same for Kristensen.

Leeds look well-positioned at the moment in the Championship, second and unbeaten in seven ahead of Millwall on Wednesday. But failure to go up, and Kristensen will go on the cheap like Roca and Llorente.