Exclusive: Mateo Joseph exit at Leeds United mooted by Sky Sports pundit | OneFootball

Hendrie has told Mateo Joseph to make a loan exit ahead of next season

Former footballer and current EFL pundit Lee Hendrie has urged Leeds United striker Mateo Joseph to leave the club on loan this summer, with opportunities in Daniel Farke's squad set to be at a premium in the Premier League next season.

The Whites have recently sealed their return to the Premier League after two seasons away, and preparations will soon begin for next term back in the top-flight as a major summer transfer window beckons.

Spaniard Joseph will surely be one of Farke's players that is in line for a move away in the months to come, following his struggles to nail down a starting berth throughout this term, despite being expected to be a key man in their promotion push at the start of the campaign.

Lee Hendrie backs Mateo Joseph for summer loan move - it would be a 'great opportunity'

Spanish youth international Joseph joined Leeds in 2022, but got his first consistent taste of first-team action last season after the Whites' relegation to the Championship. He scored his first two senior career goals away at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round last February.

Georginio Rutter's exit and Patrick Bamford's lack of form meant that the 21-year-old was widely tipped to be a mainstay in Farke's starting 11 ahead of the start of this campaign. The reality has been quite different, especially in recent months, and so he may well be allowed out on loan this summer.

He started in each of Leeds' first eight league games this term, but was soon dropped in favour of Joel Piroe, after registering two goals and three assists in the first 10 outings of the season.

He has started just three Championship games since the start of October, and has struggled to feature at all in recent weeks as the promotion race has heated up.

Joseph may well benefit from a season away from Elland Road as they return to the top-flight, and ex-professional player and current EFL pundit Lee Hendrie has backed the youngster, who according to Capology's estimates earns £15,000 a week, to leave on loan this summer to gain some valuable first-team experience and then return to West Yorkshire as a better player next year.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie said: “(Mateo Joseph) has obviously been limited in the timescale of getting minutes on the pitch, but when he has played, he hasn’t quite delivered goals, which is what he is in the team for.

“I think sometimes you need a real good run in a side to prove your weight in gold, and I know that he is certainly a talent, for sure, but yes, I do feel that, is he going to play much in the Premier League? I don’t think he will do.

“It wouldn’t hurt him to go out and have a fresh start, even if it is somewhere until January time, when the window shuts.

“Then he can go and get some football, and really put his name back out there. I do feel that it would be a great opportunity for him to go and get more minutes, stabilise the position playing where he wants to play, and still be attached to Leeds.

“I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to go out and get some loan minutes and time somewhere, be it at the right club.”

Mateo Joseph has already been linked away from Leeds - a loan exit looks likely this summer

It is clear that Joseph has not enjoyed the fruitful campaign that he looked promised to have in the early stages of the season, but at just 21-years-old, it would be a huge shock to see him let go on a permanent deal anytime soon, given how highly-rated he is by many in West Yorkshire.

Leeds have already shown that they want to keep him for the long-term, after they rejected a £10m bid for his services from La Liga side Real Betis in the most recent January window, according to BBC Sport.

He was deemed too important to be let go by the Whites, but the situation was also believed to be somewhat impacted by their failure to sign Southampton striker Cameron Archer.

Leeds will undoubtedly look to bolster their front-line again this summer, following promotion, which could well mean Joseph becomes available to sign, most likely on loan, unless a sizeable permanent offer comes in.

Recent reports have suggested that Premier League outfit West Ham are plotting a move for his signature in the summer window, but it seems unlikely that he would be allowed to join a fellow top-flight side as the Whites look to become competitive in the Premier League.

That switch would surely make little sense from a personal point of view too, with game-time likely to be at even more of a premium at the London Stadium compared to at Leeds next season.

If he is available for loan soon, then numerous second-tier clubs are sure to register their interest in securing his services for next season. Joseph has struggled to make a real impact at Elland Road so far, but his talent is clear, and he could well become a top Championship marksman if he is given the chance to become a play-off chasing team's main centre-forward for 2025/26.