Here are your Leeds United evening headlines on Friday, June 30, 2023.
Roca taking a wages cut for move
Leeds United are expected to wave goodbye to a host of players this summer following their relegation to the Championship. Not all exits will be permanent, with loan deals an option for many players in allowing them to play at a higher level until a transfer is agreed at a later date.
One of those players who could find himself out on loan is Marc Roca, who has been linked with a switch to Real Betis. Having joined from Bayern Munich last summer, Roca is not expected to stick around for a fight in the Championship, but a move away may hit him in the pocket.
Spanish TV are reporting Roca will join Betis early next month and the player is taking a wage cut in order for the deal to go through. How much of Roca's wage is being picked up by Betis is not known, but the suggestions are the player is happy with the deal if it allows him to depart for La Liga.
Read next: Leeds United news LIVE: Farke next manager approval given, Koch, Rutter and Adams targeted
Vierira to France
French newspaper L'Equipe have named Patrick Vieira as the leading candidate to take over as Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg.
Vieira had been one of the leading candidates to succeed Sam Allardyce as Leeds manager, according to the bookmakers at least. It's widley believed the former Crystal Palace manager held some level of talks with Leeds during the initial stage of the managerial search, but his future now looks like it could be back in France.
Strasbourg are primarily owned by BlueCo, who are led by Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. The new ownership model have big plans for a side that finished 15th last season in the French top flight, and Vieira would be a high profile signing to lead the club into a new era.
Rutter a wanted man
Georginio Rutter is attracting more attention this summer, according to German newspaper Bild. The striker, who cost Leeds £35m in January was something of a flop last season, making just one start in the Premier League and there has been talk of a loan deal away from Elland Road.
Rutter's old club Hoffenheim were the first club mentioned, but it seems Freiburg may have entered the race, too. It makes sense, Rutter impressed in the Bundesliga and clubs may be looking to take him back to where he thrived.
Having spent so much money on him in January, the pressure will be on Rutter to perform in the Championship should he stay at Leeds this summer. Freiburg have also been linked with Willy Gnonto.
Farke gets seal of approval
Daniel Farke and Leeds United could be a match made in heaven in the Championship. That’s according to former Norwich City striker Chris Sutton, who was a huge fan of the way Farke set his Canaries side up during his four and a half years at Carrow Road.
Farke is the overwhelming favourite to be appointed Leeds’ new head coach having interviewed for the role last week and there has been strong speculation that a deal could be announced sooner rather than later. Leeds, who parted ways with Sam Allardyce at the end of last season, begin pre-season training on Sunday, with just five weeks to prepare for the new Championship season.
As such, the hope is that they will have a new man in place to welcome players back to Thorp Arch and it’s fair to say Sutton is backing Farke for the job.
“You’d struggle to find a Norwich supporter who dislikes Daniel Farke and if I was a Leeds fan, I’d be excited at the prospect of seeing some exciting football at Elland Road,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column. “Especially after seeing the club try and fail to go back to basics with Sam Allardyce, a doomed enterprise which ended in players hopelessly launching long throws into the box in a bid to survive."
