Vurnon Anita hasn’t played a Championship game for Leeds United since Marcelo Bielsa arrived, spending last season in the Eredivisie with Willem II.
Forgotten man Vurnon Anita is set to leave Leeds United on a free transfer this week, according to SDNA, despite the fact that he still has another 12 months left on his contract at Elland Road.
Anita looked like one of Victor Orta’s most inspired signings when he arrived in West Yorkshire from Newcastle United in the summer of 2017. An experienced player and a three-time Dutch international, the former Ajax star is capable of playing at right-back, left-back and in defensive midfield after all.
But as soon as Marcelo Bielsa arrived at Leeds a year ago, Anita’s time in the famous White shirt looked all but over.
He was farmed out on loan to Willem II at the start of the 2018/19 campaign and, after making 27 appearances in the Eredivisie, SDNA believes that Anita is now set to leave Elland Road on a permanent basis.
Panathinaikos are keen. And while a deal will be ‘very difficult’ for the cash-strapped Greek giants, their hopes will certainly be given a boost by reports that Leeds are set to terminate Anita’s contract one year early.
With Hadi Sacko also expected to leave this week, following Caleb Ekuban out the door, Bielsa continues to trim the deadwood from a bloated squad and get some of Orta’s more disappointing signings out of the door.
And, for that, he deserves massive praise. Mediocrity is no longer accepted in West Yorkshire.
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