Leeds United's latest deal with Sunderland should fire warning to Charlie Cresswell and Joe Gelhardt: View | OneFootball

Sunderland moved swiftly to complete the signing of Leeds United defender Leo Hjelde, who has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at the Stadium of Light which will keep him at the Wearside outfit until the summer of 2028.

Sunderland completed the deal late on in the window for the defender, who can operate at left-back or in the centre of defence, with Mike McGrath revealing that a £2 million deal would take the Hjelde to the Stadium of Light.

Several Leeds players were fighting to prove their worth to Daniel Farke over the last few months in order to remain at Elland Road beyond January, with fringe players such as Hjelde always in with a chance of moving on in the transfer window.

Hjelde has been just one player of many in particular who has been struggling to get involved in Farke's plans. The defender can play at left-back or centre-back but, in spite of the injuries in that area, Hjelde has not been called upon.

Sam Byram, Junior Firpo, and Jamie Shackleton have all sustained problems of late, stretching Farke's pool of options very thin, and forcing Djed Spence to deputise at left-back. His return to Spurs, and Luke Ayling's loan to Middlesbrough still didn't see Farke call upon the 20-year-old.

Hjelde spent the second-half of last season on loan in the second-tier and developed well but struggled to get a kick, being forced to play U-21 matches for any kind of regular game time, and not being considered for matchday squads in FA Cup games over the last month, too.

Leeds' Charlie Cresswell and Joe Gelhardt problem

The ex-Rotherham United loanee is one that many thought could have been utilised more prominently but perhaps just squandered his opportunity when he was hauled off at the break in their 2-2 draw at home to Cardiff City on the opening day.

He was given a tough time, so maybe it's not too much of a coincidence that the 20-year-old hasn't played in the league since. He also appeared twice in the EFL Cup games earlier in the campaign, with Farke deploying him at left-back.

Hjelde has not been in a league matchday squad since the fifth fixture of the season, when he was an unused substitute against Sheffield Wednesday, and is not the only player whose development has been somewhat mishandled by the club in recent years.

There's clearly potential with the Norway youth international, but he may just need regular first-team minutes elsewhere for now in order to realise it. This could be true of Darko Gyabi, who has been loaned to Plymouth Argyle in search of that. However, it was too late for the likes of Hjelde and Lewis Bate, whose time at the club has come to an end.

There are other talented players who have come through the club at the same time as the aforementioned players, but who are currently stunting in terms of their development due to their lack of game time.

Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell are just two of the fringe players that are lacking the game time needed to fulfill their potentials, with Leeds knocking back approaches for them despite Farke's reluctance to use them regularly.

They may not be at the required level to be regular starters right now for a side pushing for automatic promotion from the second tier, but they are stagnating with just 14 appearances between them so far this season.

Leeds' long-term view

It all comes down to Leeds' approach to youth recruitment, with Victor Orta adding to their development side heavily in the 2018-2021 period. When players such as Crysencio Summerville and Pascal Struijk are comfortably worth eight-figure fees, there is an argument that only one or two successes are needed from that era.

However, there could have been so many more, and the club risk Cresswell and Gelhardt suffering the same fate as Hjelde or Bate, where they are moved on for a low fee, having not failed to make it at Leeds, or achieve more of their potential in their development.

A reluctance to loan many of the signings from that period has perhaps been one issue to learn from, as well as holding onto them for too long as back-ups in the first-team, thus struggling for the regular minutes needed to grow in Leeds' side.

However, of course, a hit rate which brings players of Summerville or Struijk's quality through will more than pay for the losses incurred on others, and perhaps viewing the club's approach to youth recruitment and development in the aggregate is the best way to do it - with Leeds very much in profit should they sell either of that pair in the next few windows.