The Whites took their time to get going in the January window, and plenty of outgoing deals were sealed before anything incoming happened.
Leo Hjelde was one of those the club were happy to see leave the club after struggling in August and then never seen since in the senior fold.
Monday brought news that Leeds had accepted an offer from Sunderland for Hjelde, seeing the Norway youth international bid farewell to Elland Road.
Fabrizio Romano shared that a £2million offer was lodged by the Black Cats to sign the youngster from Leeds, another player in recent seasons swapping LS11 for the Stadium of Light – after Joe Gelhardt and Niall Huggins to name two.
He joins Mick Beale’s side, which is already boasts the youngest average age in the division so far this season at 22.6 (Leeds’ is 24.1).
Sunderland’s investment in youth has been similar to Leeds’ in recent years, with mixed results across the board, but some outright successes in the transfer market.
The Black Cats will hope Hjelde falls into the latter category as someone that can either bolster their squad for a future promotion push, or be sold for significant profit.
Jack Clarke is the player that Leeds might be looking at with envy, given he was sold to Tottenham in 2019 – even though it was entirely reasonable to cash in at £10million, with the need to balance books.
However, knowing the talent Clarke and Hjelde clearly have at their midst, it could be frustrating for Leeds in the long-term knowing they had these players on their books and tied down, only to take the fee for short-term Profit and Sustainability benefit.
If Hjelde shines at Sunderland, it’s a stepping stone for a Premier League move, as Clarke is very close to doing anyway.
That would bring a fee that could have come to Leeds if he was given more regular opportunities, perhaps with a loan this season instead of cashing in for a cool £2million.
