Leeds United, like almost every club, have made some questionable signings over the years and the news of Laurens De Bock’s release from the club brings to an end a very underwhelming Whites career. The Belgian defender signed in January 2018 for around £1.5 million but featured only seven times before a host of loan moves.
He joins a list of players signed by the club during the years they desperately fought for promotion, with little money and a slapstick recruitment policy that tried to placate a revolving door of managers and their playing styles.
The hunt for hidden gems in under-appreciated leagues rarely paid off. Samu Saiz arrival from Spanish second division SD Huesca was an exception to the rule, similarly the signings of Pontus Jansson from Torino and Mateusz Klich from FC Twente - eventually.
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But for those that worked there were plenty that didn’t. From De Bock to Scott Wootton, here are seven of the club’s poorest signings over the last 10 years.
Laurens De Bock
There was hope when the left-back signed from Club Brugge for the seven-figure sum, but his debut saw a 4-3 defeat at home to Millwall and weeks later his part in the 2-2 draw with Derby ended any promise instantly.
He would fall behind Barry Douglas and Leif Davis after the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa and never came close to breaking back into the side.
He only made seven appearances before loans to several clubs including Sunderland, ADO Den Haag and Zulte Waregem, where he will sign on a free for the upcoming season.
Jean Kevin-Augustin
When the former France U21s striker arrived from RB Leipzig in January 2020 following Arsenal's recall of Eddie Nkietiah, hopes were high that the forward would be the missing piece in the promotion jigsaw for Marcelo Bielsa's side.
To say things did not work out, however, is an understatement. Fitness struggles saw him play just 48 minutes before the season was halted following the pandemic, with the club opting not to extend his loan past the June 30 date in which it was originally due to end. Leeds did then go on to win promotion, which under the initial terms of the loan deal would have meant they have to pay £18m to sign him permanently, but argued that this date had passed before promotion was won.
The case is currently being mulled over by the Court for Arbitration for Sport, after an initial ruling was made saying that Leeds would have to stump up. Both clubs are now waiting to hear the outcome, while the player is at Nantes, where he is recovering from long-Covid.
Jay-Roy Grot
There was plenty of excitement when Leeds announced the signing of 19-year-old Jay-Roy Grot for £1.5 million, not least because with a 6ft 4in he looked the part.
The Dutch giant made only four starts for the Whites with 19 substitute appearances. He scored his only goal for the club in a 2-1 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday, latching onto a Pablo Hernandez cross from two-yards out.
But that was about it for Grot, who went on loan to VVV-Venlo and Vitesse Arnhem before being released last summer - he now plays for Danish Superliga side Viborg FF where he has five goals in 20 appearances.
Pawel Cibicki
The striker arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 2017 for £1.5 million after 11 goals in 57 games over a four-year period for Malmo FF.
He picked up two assists in his first two games against QPR and Norwich but failed to score a single goal in seven appearances for the club before being loaned out to Molde, Elfsborg and ADO Den Haag,
Signed for Polish side Pogoń Szczecin and scored three goals in 19 games before being banned for alleged match-fixing during his time at Elfsborg.
Felix Wiedwald
Wiedwald played 28 times for Leeds after signing from German outfit Werder Bremen for around £500,000, but made a catalogue of blunders between the posts in a dreadful season.
The keeper looked promising after four successive clean sheets during the early weeks, but he was torn to pieces after a 3-0 defeat to Wednesday.
Lasted just the single season at Elland Road before a return to Germany and Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer. Moved around German sides before signing for SV Sandhausen in January 2022 on a short-term deal.
Casper Sloth
The midfielder was signed in 2014 after 133 appearances and nine goals for Danish club AGF Aarhus for a fee of around £600,000.
Was preferred by David Hockaday and Darko Milanic during their respective brief tenures, but only made 14 appearances that season after being snubbed by Neil Redfearn during the second-half of the campaign.
Didn’t feature at all during the 2016/2016 season and was shipped off to Aalborg for an undisclosed fee. Signed for Notts County in August 2020 before being released just two months later without making a single appearance. Currently at Icelandic side Stjarnan.
Giuseppe Bellusci
One of several Italians to arrive in the summer of 2014 for around £2 million.The defender did make 57 appearances for the club, scoring twice, and wasn’t by any means the worst of the bunch.
But red cards, an FA hearing for alleged racist abuse - in which he was found not guilty - and his alleged role in the infamous ‘sick-note’ six all clouded any minor positives.
Bellusci’s contract was cut short after he was booed by fans during a pre-season friendly against Guiseley, and he spent the second-half of last season on loan at Serie B side Ascoli.
Scott Wootton
Scott Wootton came from Manchester United’s academy for £1 million, which sounded like a promising investment in 2013.
After 66 appearances - most of them terrible - that promise was shot, and Wootton left the club in 2016 in bizarre circumstances.
The defender reportedly signed a contract extension keeping him at Elland Road until 2017, but the club never completed the necessary paperwork and his contract ran out come the summer - there was even an interview about the extension on the club website.
The defender fell down the leagues after his departure and is currently in New Zealand at Wellington Phoenix, where he surprisingly has two goals in 16 games.
