The defender, who began the season as captain, has departed Elland Road.
The summer transfer window may have closed late on Wednesday night, but there was still one high-profile exit to come at Leeds United as the club announced on Thursday that Sol Bamba has left by mutual consent.
Bamba was a popular figure at Elland Road after his initial arrival on loan from Palermo in January 2015 as he established himself as perhaps the biggest leader at the club.
However, after making his transfer permanent last summer, his form gradually began to decline, and by the end of last term the club captain’s reputation amongst large swathes of the Whites support had altered drastically.
One manner in which he retained the faith of the Leeds support, however, was his status as one of the only players at the club to be vocal in criticising owner Massimo Cellino and in appearing to strive for change and improvement both on and off the field.
He had made four appearances this season under new manager Garry Monk, but the club announced on Thursday afternoon that the 31-year-old has now left the club for personal reasons.
Reaction to his departure has been mixed. Some Leeds fans are far from upset about the declining centre-back leaving as his on-field form has been shaky to say the least over the last 12 months or so.
For others, however, it was a shame to lose such a passionate figurehead of the side, and a major concern raised by many fans was the fact that his departure just 13 hours after the close of the transfer window leaves Leeds very short of central defensive options.
Here is the best of the very mixed reaction to Bamba’s exit from Whites fans.
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