Leeds United loanee Brenden Aaronson permanently returning to Elland Road next season to feature for the Peacocks once his loan deal at Union Berlin expires.
The United States international joined the Whites for a reported £24.7 million during the summer transfer window when Jesse Marsch was in charge, having previously worked with the American at RB Salzburg in Austria.
The young playmaker had a relegation clause inserted into his contract which forbade him from playing in the Championship if the Yorkshire club dropped out of the Premier League. Unfortunately, Leeds were relegated to the second-tier and the 23-year-old was loaned out to Champions League side Union Berlin.
However, another loss in the UEFA Champions League tonight against Napoli would be the club’s twelfth-straight defeat in all competitions, while Union are sitting third from bottom in the Bundesliga. In 12 appearances, Aaronson has failed to register a single goal or assist.
Coincidentally, in a recent interview with The Athletic, Aaronson admitted he was open to a return to England next season [quotes via USA Today]:
“For sure, it’s possible. It’s not done and dusted or anything like that. Bundesliga
“I love the club. I love the guys that I was there with, the connections I made. It was just tough the way it ended.
“I felt like this was the best decision that I could make — playing in theand playing in the Champions League — to help my career and get me better. So that’s why I made the decision.”
In 40 appearances with Leeds United, Aaronson scored just one goal and bagged three assists. BBC Pundit John Newsome had this to say about Aaronson’s time at Elland Road [quotes via One Football]:
“I feel he’s very lightweight. There were a couple of occasions when the ball was there to be won and he actually jumped out of the way. That, for me, is really disappointing.”
Writer’s View
Aaronson’s spell with Leeds United was disastrous and the player can be viewed as an outright disappointment given the high fee the club paid to Salzburg for his services.
