LEEDS, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 16: Detail view of the Leeds United club badge on the corner flag prior to the Premier League match between Leeds United and Newcastle United at Elland Road on December 16, 2020 in Leeds, England.The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Rui Vieira - Pool/Getty Images)
There is a relegation release clause in the contract of Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United, according to a trustworthy source.
Leeds finished 19th in the 2022-23 Premier League and will therefore be back down in the Championship next season. Yet to find a new manager or sporting director, they have a lot of work to do to get their house in order.
We have already explored 10 Leeds players who are likely to leave after their relegation from the Premier League.
Now, The Athletic – in a report co-authored by trusted Leeds source, Phil Hay – has revealed that Aaronson could be one of the likeliest players to leave the club this summer.
Per the report, there is a release clause in Aaronson’s contract that has become active after Leeds lost their top-flight status.
While the value of the exit clause is not shared, Hay and co-writer, Tom Bogert – an authority on football in the USA – suggest Leeds want to recoup the £25m transfer fee they paid to sign him from Red Bull Salzburg last summer.
Aaronson is under contract at Elland Road until 2027, but insiders are now ‘expecting’ his exit clause to be triggered, despite a disappointing debut season in English football.
Since his move from Salzburg – which temporarily reunited him with Jesse Marsch – Aaronson has still only scored one goal for Leeds from 40 appearances in all competitions. Considering how long Leeds spent pursuing him, it has been a thoroughly disappointing output.
Yet he still could have a bunch of admirers, eager to make more out of the 22-year-old’s potential. The report does not mention specifically who might be looking at him.
Furthermore, the idea of Aaronson staying at Leeds to help them try and escape the Championship at the first attempt hasn’t been ruled out yet either.
American exodus at Leeds
But the most likely outcome seems to be for the USMNT player to depart Leeds this summer – along with his compatriots, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams.
McKennie will be returning to Juventus after an underwhelming six-month spell on loan from the Serie A side. Adams, on the other hand, was one of the more impressive members of the struggling Leeds squad.
Subsequently, Adams has been linked with the likes of Man Utd, whose potential move for him would be heart-breaking for Leeds.
Like Aaronson, Adams only arrived in West Yorkshire last summer. His arrival helped account for the sale of Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City.
Ultimately, though, the overall balance for Leeds was wrong this season. As such, some of the better players they have brought in might only end up having short spells at Elland Road.
