Not even essentially the most optimistic of Leeds United supporters would have predicted that the recipient of the August Participant of the Month accolade for the Whites can be Brenden Aaronson earlier than a ball was kicked this Championship season.

The American attacking midfielder has turned his failing Leeds story round already this marketing campaign, with two strikes registered from 5 second tier clashes to this point, after being chucked out on mortgage to Union Berlin for all the 2023/24 season amidst his facet’s demise from the Premier League.

While he’ll be overjoyed with the drastic change in narrative, there are nonetheless quite a lot of high-profile signings from the identical time Aaronson was picked up that stay firmly within the Leeds unhealthy books, together with forgotten defender Rasmus Kristensen.

Kristensen’s switch to Leeds

There would have been pleasure within the air when Kristensen penned a deal to signal for the West Yorkshire outfit again in 2022, costing the Whites a substantial £10m price, with the bumper change seeing the Danish full-back reunite along with his ex-RB Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch within the course of.

Now, nevertheless, with hindsight firmly on facet, the Scandinavian goes down as a significant switch misfire, and one other flop that former Leeds director of soccer Victor Orta has to take some accountability over.

Snapped up within the similar disastrous window because the likes of Tyler Adams and Maximilian Wober had been additionally signed, the 27-year-old did present flashes of his promise as an attack-oriented full-back at Elland Highway, with three targets picked up from 30 video games in whole.

Nevertheless, it could be his calamitous defending – lining up in a leaky Leeds facet that conceded targets for enjoyable on the best way to relegation – that would go away an entire lot to be desired, with simply one clear sheet registered from 26 top-flight appearances for the Whites.

He has since been moved on to AS Roma and now Eintracht Frankfurt on mortgage, with Leeds presumably determined to get him off their roster for good quickly, with Whites content material creator Conor McGilligan even boldly labelling him as a “League One” customary defender throughout his tough 2022/23 marketing campaign.

Leeds may nicely have the ability to fulfil this want quickly, along with his present short-term Bundesliga employers impressed by the Dane through the infancy of this new season to date, even along with his poor time in England nicely documented.

Kristensen’s time at Frankfurt

Kristensen might nicely have an exit route out of Leeds for good if he retains up his promising shows in Germany, with Frankfurt sporting director Timmo Hardung notably declaring the 27-year-old as a participant who’s of a “prime quality” just lately.

Though the model new Frankfurt quantity 13 is discovering it tough to choose up clear sheets nonetheless – very similar to his Leeds keep – with zero amassed from three Bundesliga appearances, the numbers are way more glowing elsewhere.

Impressively, when wanting on the desk above, Kristensen has really bettered Jayden Bogle’s personal ball restoration whole per conflict for Leeds taking part in out in Germany, with the ex-Sheffield United man solely averaging 2.4 per Championship sport taking part in for Daniel Farke’s males contrasted subsequent to the Dane’s superior 4.7.

Nonetheless, far too many bridges really feel as if they have been burnt between the Orta signing and the Whites at this time limit, with Aaronson not less than keen to struggle for his area within the Leeds facet within the second tier this marketing campaign, over favouring one other mortgage enterprise.

The American has managed to win again over Leeds supporters subsequently, whereas it is possible now that Kristensen’s finish at Elland Highway is in sight, and he’ll go down as a sizeable waste of cash.