Leeds United‘s Mateo Joseph has his heart set on leaving the Premier League side for RCD Mallorca in the winter market despite the serious injury.
The forward joined Leeds United from Espanyol in January 2022 and didn’t enjoy regular minutes. He played 1,997 minutes in 73 matches for the Whites, managing three goals and two assists.
He wasn’t keen on staying at Elland Road and wanted to return to Spain. Last summer, Real Betis were confident of signing the 23-year-old, but Leeds United didn’t entertain them.
In the end, Daniel Farke’s side let him join RCD Mallorca on loan without an obligation or option to buy.
Leeds United man already wanted summer move
He scored two goals and contributed four assists from 1,716 minutes in 30 appearances for RCD Mallorca. In March, the Spaniard publicly expressed his desire to extend his stay.
At that time, he said: “I’d like to continue being happy here. When you’re happy somewhere, why change? It doesn’t depend much on me because I have a contract with another club. We’ll see what the future holds for me,” he said.
“I’m grateful to the coaches I’ve had, also to my teammates, who from day one has made me feel like one of them, and to the sporting director, who has always shown confidence in me.”
A month later, Mateo Joseph suffered a cruciate ligament tear and successfully underwent surgery. He has been on the sidelines since then and returned to Leeds United in the summer.
Leeds United’s stance on January exit
RCD Mallorca dropped out of La Liga after finishing 18th last season. They are considering signing Mateo Joseph in the winter market, and Fútbol desde Mallorca covers the latest.
The Spanish club are closely monitoring the Leeds United player’s recovery process. The expectation is for him to return to the pitch in February so that he can be available for the second half of the season.
Mallorca’s plan is to sign him on loan in January, and he’s also keen on joining them. The outlet says this is a delicate operation because ‘everything will depend’ on his physical condition.
Another factor that could make the operation more complex is Leeds United inserting a purchase obligation in case of promotion. They are now sixth, five points behind second placed CD Castellón.
It would be a major gamble for the Segunda División, especially if Joseph fails to recover and regain his past fitness and form. For now, there are many uncertainties, and there would only be better clarity during the next window.
