Leeds United signed Isaac Schmidt from St Gallen last summer, but the Swiss full-back’s lack of playing time means he’s sure to be questioning his future at the club ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Leeds have plenty of tough decisions to make this summer regarding their starting lineup and squad, and we might see changes at full-back.
Junior Firpo’s exit is officially confirmed by the club while Sam Byram is yet to pen an extension, meaning the only two full-backs on the books are Jayden Bogle and Isaac Schmidt – the latter barely playing last season.
Most Read on LeedsAllOver
Isaac Schmidt’s agent speaks out on lack of Leeds United playing time amid World Cup ambitions
Leeds committed to a £4.5million deal to sign Schmidt from St Gallen last summer, but a peculiar lack of action in the Championship makes his future uncertain ahead of a move into the Premier League.
Despite being largely overlooked by Daniel Farke, Schmidt did earn international recognition in March and June with the Switzerland squad, which comes at a great time with the World Cup in the US approaching next year.
(REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
Should Schmidt want to be part of the Swiss side looking to qualify, his agent Baykal Bellusci says that the wing-back will be exploring his options, looking for a “very good solution” in the coming weeks.
“Isaac played as a left-back for a long time, and we discussed with the club that there was a larger market for the right-back position,” Bellusci told Blick. “The decision to switch Isaac to the right led to the transfer and his call-up to the national team.
“He has developed, matured as a player, and proven himself with the national team. In a World Cup year, the top priority shouldn’t be to focus on finances. Instead, it’s all about one thing: Where can I play the most games to prove myself? I’m convinced we’ll find a very good solution for him this summer.”
Tough position for Isaac Schmidt this summer at Leeds United – could he leave on loan?
If Schmidt was a regular last season, there might have been scope for him being useful as a rotation option in the Premier League, but it’s hard to rely on him when he’s not played much club football for nine months.
Should Farke shift to a back three, he would be a viable option for us, but he’s well within his rights to be frustrated at the lack of minutes so far, given he was more than good enough to play in the Championship.
If we invest into new full-backs, then it might make sense for Leeds to loan Schmidt out, meaning we retain a valuable player but also get him the playing time he deserves.