Leeds United: Max Wober "upgrade" claims made after Daniel Farke comments | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit has given his reaction to Daniel Farke's decision to bring defender Max Wober back into the fold.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds United will be hoping to win promotion from the Championship next season.

A decline in form towards the end of last season saw the Whites miss out on automatic promotion, and they suffered further heartbreak as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May.

Despite that disappointment, manager Daniel Farke has remained in charge, and Leeds have brought in four new signings so far this summer, with Alex Cairns, Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle and Joe Rothwell arriving at Elland Road.

As well as the new additions, two players who were out on loan last season, Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober, will be reintroduced to the squad, and Farke said that conversations with the pair convinced him to bring them back into the fold.

"For me, it's important the attitude and mentality of the player. I got the feeling in our conversations that both Max and also Brenden were really desperate to come back and they valued also what they had and they want to repay also the trust that the club has shown into them as once they spent lots of money in order to bring them in," Farke told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

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

It was claimed in May that Leeds were demanding £14.5 million for Wober this summer, but that price tag seems to have deterred clubs from making a move, and Monchengladbach were reportedly only willing to pay £7.7 million to sign him permanently.

Leeds United, Max Wober return backed

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith believes that the club are right to set a high valuation for Wober, and while he admits the Austrian international may have some work to do to win over supporters, he insists he can be an important player for Farke's side next season.

"I think the underlying reason for why Aaronson has come back and why Wober is back now as well is probably that the money we're asking for isn't what clubs want to pay," Kris said.

"I don't blame the club at all for setting such a high asking price for Wober, reported to be above the £10 million that we paid for him in 2023.

"Obviously, he's a top flight regular off the back of half a season with us before we got relegated, and a decent season at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

"He's also an international off the back of playing at Euro 2024. "A player like that comes with a decent asking price, and it's not our fault that nobody wants to pay it. "As for this season, I do think we needed more centre-back cover, especially after losing Charlie Cresswell permanently and with Liam Cooper's contract expiring. "As much as people probably won't like it, he's an upgrade on both clearly. "He'll have to work hard to win the fans over and prove that he's a worthwhile option, but he certainly has the quality to excel in the Championship, he's potentially a level above that. "What also helps him in terms of being an important player to us is his versatility as well.

"Wober joined Leeds off the back of playing as a left wing-back quite often for Red Bull Salzburg, he can play there for us if Firpo gets injured, and he can also play in midfield as well, something that's really important to us."

It is a big decision for Farke to bring Wober back into the fold at Leeds, but if clubs are unwilling to meet their asking price, it makes sense to use him next season.

As Kris says, the Whites are right to set a high valuation for Wober given his status as an international player, and his stock is high after he made three appearances for Austria during Euro 2024 as Ralf Rangnick's side reached the round of 16.

Given that he enjoyed a strong campaign in the Bundesliga last season, he is certainly more than capable of performing in the Championship, and he could be a crucial player for the Whites next term as they look to secure a return to the Premier League.

There may be some question marks over Wober's commitment, but Farke's comments should be reassuring for supporters, and it could prove to be a genius move from the German to reintroduce him to the team.