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Liam Wood

The four players you probably forgot were still at Leeds United

Leeds United have already started mapping out their transfer plans ahead of the 2021/2022 season - even if the close-season window is yet to officially open.

After ending their 16-year hiatus from the Premier League last summer, the Whites excelled and exceeded expectations in their first season back in the big time.

Patrick Bamford led the way in terms of goalscoring, netting 17 times in the top-flight alone as Stuart Dallas, Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha - among others - earned rave reviews for their performances.

In trademark Marcelo Bielsa style, though, a ninth-place finish was all about the high-octane collective.

As attentions turn to the summer transfer window, Leeds have already made room in their squad with the exits of long-serving heroes Gaetano Berardi and Pablo Hernandez - who were both handed swansongs on the final day as Leeds supporters finally returned to Elland Road.

But will there be more departures this summer? Here are four players you might have forgotten were still with Leeds and a look at their respective situations at Elland Road.

Laurens de Bock

Despite being a Leeds player for close to three years now, de Bock has only ever made a combined total of seven appearances for the Elland Road outfit.

Having progressed through the academy with Lokeren in his native Belgium, the left-back played over 200 top-flight games for them and Club Brugge combined.

That was enough to convince the Whites into a €1.7million deal in January 2018. However, since then, the 28-year-old has been sent out on a string of loan deals; across England, the Netherlands and Belgium.

With 12 months left to run on his contract here, de Bock featured 31 times in the Jupiler Pro League for Zulte Waregem this campaign.

Adam Forshaw

Perhaps an anomaly in this list, given that he is expected to form part of the first-team squad next season barring a summer departure, the 29-year-old Forshaw has made just one appearance in Premier League 2 this campaign.

Of course, that has largely been down to a troublesome and long-standing hip injury - which dates back to late 2019.

A product of the Everton academy, central midfielder Forshaw counts Brentford and Middlesbrough among his former clubs.

Remarkably, he last featured for Leeds in September 2019, when they slipped to a 1-0 reverse against Charlton in the Championship.

Rafa Mujica

Starting out with Las Palmas, the Spanish forward returned to his first club towards the end of the January transfer window.

It wasn't quite to be a fairytale homecoming, though, as Mujica scored just once in 16 games.

Similarly to de Bock, the 22-year-old has another season left to run on his current deal at Elland Road - but there is little sign to suggest he will make a senior debut.

Mujica, who previously spent time with Barcelona B, arrived at Leeds from the Nou Camp in 2019. Since then, though, he too has been subject to a succession of loans.

Kun Temenuzhkov

Capped three times at U21 level by Bulgaria, the diminutive forward was another prospect who Leeds picked up from La Masia - the famed Barcelona academy base.

That move to England came four years ago now, but like the majority of other names on this list, Temenuzhkov has yet to make his mark at senior level, although he has made one outing for the first team.

Entering the final days of his Elland Road contract, the 21-year-old spent 2020/2021 with Real Union, who play in Spain's third tier (Segunda Division B). Temenuzhkov scored three goals in 16 matches.

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