Leeds United full-back Isaac Schmidt has every right to be frustrated at his lack of playing time at Elland Road since joining 11 months ago, and pre-season could be quite telling.
The pressures of pursuing the Championship title meant that there was very little opportunity for Daniel Farke to abandon tried and trusted options in key positions, but his lack of rotation did come as a cause for concern at certain points of the season.
A £4.5million deadline day signing, Isaac Schmidt’s lack of action throughout the season, despite being a vital part of St Gallen’s qualification for European football prior to joining, was something of a worry.
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Isaac Schmidt’s agent suggests Leeds United exit is being considered
Signed as a versatile full-back that has played just about everywhere during his career to date, Schmidt saw his playing time severely limited in the Championship.
In the 24/25 season, Schmidt actually had more than double the amount of game time for St Gallen (524 minutes) than he did in a Leeds shirt (251 minutes), despite joining Leeds in August 2024 – shockingly, his involvement for Switzerland across two matches in March (92 minutes) was more than he was offered in the Championship (71 minutes).
(REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
It prompted these comments very recently from the player’s agent, Baykal Bellusci, who suggested that Schmidt will be considering an exit this summer if that is the best solution for his playing opportunities in 25/26, ahead of the World Cup in the United States next summer.
“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.”
Daniel Farke has to prove to Isaac Schmidt that Leeds United is best place for his development
It’s entirely fair to see why Schmidt wasn’t starting at right-back for Leeds last season, because Jayden Bogle was one of the best players in the division on a consistent basis, locking down that part of the pitch and proving to be a transformative signing from Sheffield United.
However, any rotation or substitutions at full-back were reserved almost entirely to Sam Byram, who has proven to also be a reliable presence in the squad, but cannot offer the same attacking output and athleticism as a natural attacking full-back on either side like Schmidt has proven from his time in Switzerland, and even in his limited time in a Leeds shirt.
(Action Images/Craig Brough)
These weeks of pre-season, though, represent a big opportunity for Farke to prove to Schmidt that he’s better off staying put and proving he can be a viable option either at full-back, on the wing, or even as a wing-back if Leeds shift to a back five.
With Junior Firpo leaving the club, Leeds acted fast to bring in Gabriel Gudmundsson, but letting any other players go (Schmidt) would force the 49ers into more transfer action to address the full-back positions.
There could even be an argument made that Leeds need another full-back on top of the four they have right now, so it’s up to Farke to ensure that Schmidt feels at home in July.