Leeds United may have regret after watching EFL hotshot earn European move: View | OneFootball

The former Whites academy star has earned a move to Belgium off the back of a top season in League Two

Highlights

Former Leeds United striker Max Dean has secured a move to Belgian top flight outfit KAA Gent this summer, after a sizzling season at MK Dons.

The 20-year-old netted 15 times in 29 league appearances for the League Two side in the previous campaign, as he proved himself as one of the hottest strikers in the EFL.

That form saw the frontman gain plenty of interest from clubs across Europe in the past few weeks, with Ligue 1 side Toulouse also said to be close to a deal before Gent beat them in the race for Dean’s signature.

Although the Whites are said to have received 50% of the reported £1.7 million fee after inserting a sell-on clause into his contract when he left Elland Road 18 months ago, the Yorkshire side may be regretting letting the forward go too soon, with Dean already showing signs of a promising career ahead.

Leeds United could live to regret decision to cut Max Dean loose

Dean had a glowing reputation as he came up through the ranks at Elland Road, having scored 13 goals in 32 games for the United youth team over the course of his teenage years.

While it might have been expected that the forward would wait for his chance to be given a run in the first-team with the Yorkshire side, the decision was made in January 2023 to offload the striker to MK Dons.

Then-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch claimed that the club wanted to help former coach Mark Jackson in his role at Stadium:MK, with the former Premier League side having no intention of selling him prior to that arrangement.

That meant Dean left LS11 without ever having made a professional appearance for the club he came up through the ranks at in his youth, and just 18 months on, United will be looking at their former striker’s career with envy.

Having taken the second half of the 22/23 campaign to find his feet in his new surroundings, Dean thrived once Jackson was replaced with current Dons boss Mike Williamson, with the former Gateshead man’s gameplan bringing the best out of the man through the middle.

Having bagged seven goals in eight appearances after the former Newcastle United man was instead into his post, Dean’s reputation in the EFL was starting to grow, as he continued to scamper away from League Two defenders and help his side with their impending play-off push.

With his nous for breaking free of the opposition backline, and being in the right place at the right time, Dean helped himself to plenty of goals in his first full taste of professional football, while Leeds could only watch on as their academy graduate shone away from the club.

Leeds United could have cashed in on Max Dean form amid financial situation at Elland Road

The decision to offload Dean at the earliest opportunity looks short-sighted to say the least from Leeds’ perspective, with the then-teenager not even given the benefit of a loan spell away from the club to prove himself before being moved on.

In hindsight, a couple of spells in the Football League could have set the Yorkshire side up in one of two ways; either to cash in on an impressive young talent or blood the striker into their side once he has proven himself at a lower level.

With the current state of play at Elland Road as it stands, the former of those two options will no doubt have been preferred, as United need to find the cash to adhere to EFL financial regulations ahead of the next campaign.

Having missed out on promotion to the Premier League due to their play-off final defeat to Southampton at Wembley, Farke’s side are said to need to raise up to £100 million to balance the books this summer, and any potential fee for Dean could have helped to go towards that fund.

Or on the other hand, the potential sale of key men like Crysencio Summerville or Willie Gnonto could have been cushioned, with the Whites knowing they have a top homegrown talent waiting in the wings once they move on.

Either way, some at Leeds may soon be spitting feathers at the situation with Dean, with their own short-sightedness coming back to bite them this summer.