Borussia Mönchengladbach may be pulling away from signing Leeds United defender Max Wöber on a permanent basis, with them believing they can get ‘better for less’.
That’s according to Rheinische Post, who cover the player and others today and suggest €14m is too much for the Austrian defender.
They explain that despite being part of a regular centre-back pairing for the German side this season after arriving on loan from Leeds in the summer, Wöber is not guaranteed a permanent move in the summer.
Thanks to developments in recent weeks, including the club missing out on €3.4m by failing to make the semi-finals of the cup, Gladbach are evaluating their potential transfer business closely and debating whether it makes sense.
That means there is a new focus on Wöber, whose loan deal expires at the end of the season and doesn’t include an option to make it permanent.
While he has been a regular for them this season, has settled well into the Bundesliga and added qualities that the side has lacked, they’re debating whether he’d be value for money.
Wöber is said to be valued at €14m but that is already considered ‘too much for Gladbach’ anyway and given he’s not been in great form of late and they have other options, as well as a highly rated defender who he would block, it’s questionable whether the deal makes sense.
Indeed, other reports have said Leeds United want around €17m.
Those in charge at the club even feel they might be able to get ‘better for less’ and given Leeds don’t need to sell, as Wöber’s deal at Elland Road runs until 2027, or reduce their price to a single-digit million figure, Gladbach appear to be pulling away.
It should be mentioned that this appears to be a clear tactic from the German side, who have claimed poverty when it comes to signing Wöber despite regularly insisting they’d love to keep him.
That poverty line doesn’t seem to have affected Leeds and now the stance has changed to focus on the player potentially not being worth the figure quoted instead.
What it feels like is Gladbach trying to bring Leeds’ asking price down in whatever way, and with their poverty stance not working, they’ve changed tact.
That’s just us speculating but it would not be surprising to see more of this in the coming weeks and months as Gladbach clearly want to drive down Wöber’s asking price.
