Leeds United defender Laurens de Bock is battling for his future at the club already.
Leeds United defender Laurens De Bock appears to be fighting for his future at the club after just four months.
The Whites spent £1.5 million to sign De Bock from Belgian side Standard Liege in January, but he has flopped.
De Bock has been unimpressive ever since signing, struggling to adjust to the fast pace of English football.
He is currently out injured and his absence has allowed young defender Tom Pearce to step up.
Pearce scored for Leeds at the weekend in the 2-1 win over Barnsley, and looks a natural in the position.
His progress has made the acquisition of De Bock seem needless, and the Belgian has a fight on his hands to reclaim his spot.
De Bock was a bit of a panic buy by Leeds after Luke Ayling’s injury, which means Gaetano Berardi who had been playing at left-back, had to switch to the right to fill in.
Head of recruitment Victor Orta was already under pressure before he signed De Bock, and the way the Belgian has been outshone by Pearce does not reflect well on his judgement.
In De Bock’s defence, he joined a team which were on a terrible run, which made his adjustment even worse.
With a full pre-season behind him and a fresh start, he can only improve.
He signed a four-and-a-half year deal, and Orta may be reluctant to sell right away, as it would be an admission of failure
Yet if De Bock is unsettled, and does not want to fight for his place and head back to his homeland, a quickfire exit could be on the cards and not many Leeds fans would be shedding any tears.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
