Pundit Paul Robinson has claimed that defender Laurens De Bock could be moving away from Elland Road in the summer.
De Bock has spent this season on loan with Zulte Waregem in the Jupiler Pro League and has had plenty of game time, featuring 26 times in the league and captaining the Belgian side. This is De Bock’s fourth loan spell away from Leeds since he signed for them in January 2018 from Club Brugge.
The defender hasn’t featured for Leeds since 2018 and his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning he is free to leave Elland Road, but Jesse Marsch may think about keeping him at the club after he has done well this season in Belgium.
De Bock may have already had a conversation with new boss Marsch about his future, and whilst speaking to MOT Leeds News, Paul Robinson said that the Belgian may move on in the summer.
He said: “He’ll obviously be well-informed about the player and know exactly where he is, how many games he’s played and what level he’s at.
“It’s a decision for Jesse Marsch to look at and decide what he wants going forward.
“If they saw it fit to loan him out this season, with his contract ending, it was the last chance for him to either be put in the shop window to look for other employment or sign a new contract at Leeds.
“But if they see it fit to let De Bock go and let Junior Firpo stay, it’s an area they’re going to have to look at in the summer.
“It all depends on what the new manager wants and how much he’s seen of him.
“You may see him given a short-term contract where he starts the season at the club or I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t made arrangements for next season.
“When it’s near the end of the season, players generally know where they’re going to go so it’s probably a hypothetical conversation so unless he’s already had a conversation with Marsch, I suspect he’ll be moving on.”
TIF Thoughts on Paul Robinson’s comments…
De Bock has impressed this season in the Belgian league on loan, as he has won 59% of his duels with opposition players and averages 3.2 clearances per game, as per SofaScore.
Amid the injury worries of summer signing Junior Firpo, who has only managed to start 15 games and could miss the remainder of the season, De Bock has had more experience this season playing regular football, so Marsch may opt to keep the Belgium defender at the club to act as a replacement for Firpo.
De Bock has featured just seven times for Leeds since signing, and those games were in the Championship, so we are yet to see if he can cut it in the top flight of English football, and Marsch will have to decide in the summer whether to give him his chance or let him go.