Leeds United can't risk offloading player amid Red Bull links this January | OneFootball

Leeds United must retain Max Wober in January, despite the links to both RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

Max Wober has been linked with a January move away from Leeds United, but his importance has increased in recent games and Daniel Farke's side cannot afford to sell him to RB Leipzig or Red Bull Salzburg.

Wober joined the Whites from Salzburg for a fee of £11 million in January 2023, but he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan last summer after the club's relegation from the Premier League, and he impressed during his time in Germany's top-flight.

In his 16 league appearances during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, Wöber impressed more than many during that period under Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce, but it was not enough as he failed to keep his current team afloat in the Premier League.

He was one of a number of Leeds players who left the club on loan during the summer window last year, making the temporary move to Borussia Mönchengladbach and becoming an important player there, making 25 league appearances and 27 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit.

It was claimed in May that Leeds were demanding £14.5 million for Wober this summer, but that price tag deterred clubs from making a move, and Mönchengladbach were reportedly only willing to pay £7.7 million to sign him permanently, thus he ended up remaining at Elland Road.

Other players exercised their right to a loan yet again by taking advantage of loan clauses within their contracts. Wöber and Brenden Aaronson, however, have stayed put to help Leeds push for promotion. That said, only one of them has featured regularly under Farke.

Aaronson has won a decent amount of game time in West Yorkshire during the 2024/25 campaign, and will be pleased about that following his disappointing loan stay at Union Berlin, and due to his decision to remain this term. Wöber, unlike the American, has barely featured for Farke's side this term.

Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk have been picked as starting options ahead of him at the heart of the defence, which has been detrimental to Wober in his quest to make more of an impact. Instead, in the early parts of the current campaign, he was rooted to the bench and finding more time on the pitch with Austria.

Wöber has struggled for game time at Elland Road this season, with the 26-year-old suffering injury issues, as well as falling behind in the pecking order of Farke’s team. Up until recently, he was still coming back to full fitness from knee surgery and had only featured twice in the league this term.

Junior Firpo's injury has thrown a spanner in the works of Farke's plans, with Sam Byram also struggling with fitness. That saw Wöber play the majority of the game against Derby County, where he also scored, as well as start against Middlesbrough and impress against the tricky Ben Doak.

It's inarguable that he is a part of Leeds' best line-up when everyone is fit, but he will be hopeful that this run of games will continue in Firpo's four-to-six week absence, despite not being in Farke's immediate plans for most of the season.

Leeds must retain Max Wober in January

With a player of Wober's calibre barely featuring up until recently, a January exit could be on the horizon for the 26-year-old. That may now have changed following Firpo's issue, but Leeds are now in a position where they cannot rely on Byram or Firpo's fitness at left-back, with Isaac Schmidt also regularly overlooked.

Many Leeds fans would have been happy to see the back of him in the summer, but the news that Leeds are reluctant to let Wöber leave Elland Road during the January transfer window will now be welcome, with a report from TEAMtalk outlining the Whites wouldn't be keen to let the Austria international leave despite the fact he has barely featured.

That news came out after it was reported Salzburg are interested in bringing the versatile defender back to the club ahead of the January transfer window. According to Kurier, the centre-back is one of two potential options for the Champions League side going into the new year. Salzburg's chances of re-signing the defender have since been played down.

Another Red Bull-owned club have also been mooted as an option, with journalist Graeme Bailey sharing with LeedsUnited.news that the Whites could discuss a possible swap deal to bring a player from Salzburg or Leipzig to West Yorkshire, should Wober head that way.

With Ethan Ampadu returning from injury and Josuha Guilavogui also able to operate at centre-back, Wober may not be required as often in his best position, but left-back could be his home now for the foreseeable, especially if he plays as well as he has against Derby and Boro recently.

It's also unclear whether the West Yorkshire outfit would be willing to sanction a deal anyway, given they have other areas of their squad they need to focus on strengthening without the extra work needed in their back line.