Leeds United have allowed 16 players to depart Elland Road so far this summer.
It has certainly been a window of shipping off some of the deadwood with a number of fringe members of last season’s squad having moved on to pastures new.
Archie Gray and Glen Kamara are undoubtedly the two most high-profile exits as it stands, though the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto could well add to that.
Leeds have also let go of academy graduates Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton, as well as finally moving on both Marc Roca and Diego Llorente permanently.
Daniel Farke certainly has a smaller group of players to work with right now, but the reduced wage bill should free up funds for Leeds to continue strengthening.
Cody Drameh explains why he snubbed Leeds for Hull City
Of the players whose contracts were expiring this summer, Shackleton, Liam Cooper and Cody Drameh were the three offered new deals.
Shackleton made the decision to leave his boyhood club for Sheffield United earlier this month, while Cooper is still a free agent having hit an impasse in talks with Blackburn Rovers.
The ‘outstanding‘ Drameh had also been in the same situation as Cooper, but finally put pen-to-paper on a deal with Hull City on Tuesday afternoon, in a decision that was a surprise to no one.
Since joining from Fulham in 2020, Drameh made just 10 first team appearances for Leeds and has spent the majority of the last three seasons out on loan.
Given his age, Drameh was merely offered a contract by Leeds to ensure some sort of compensation was received upon joining his new club.
Had he signed, it would’ve been interesting to see if Leeds had used him given the loss of Luke Ayling, Connor Roberts, Gray and Shackleton.
However, in an interview with the Hull Daily Mail, Drameh has explained that he chose to snub Leeds and join the Tigers due to feeling ‘wanted’.
He said: “I’m really happy to be here. It feels like it’s been coming for a bit of time for me. What attracted me was the owner and the interest the club showed in me. Everyone seemed like they really wanted me.
“It’s a pleasure to feel wanted and that was something that attracted me. It’s been a bit unstable for me – I’ve been around a lot – so now to finally settle down in Hull, and hopefully do some big things with Hull, is really nice.”
When is Drameh’s first reunion with Leeds?
Given Drameh was ineligible to face Leeds last season due to only being on loan at Birmingham City, this will be his first chance to face his former club.
And he won’t have to wait long for a reunion, either, with Hull City pencilled into travel to Leeds in just the fourth game of the season.
That will be just Leeds’ second home match of the campaign, and an early chance for Drameh to show the Elland Road faithful what they missed out on.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
