Leeds United may have made a huge mistake by selling 20-year-olds by keeping these two players – See

Countless talented players seemed to threaten the senior picture, only to be sold before they ever had the chance.

Max Dean is heading to Belgian side Gent after his stunning spell at MK Dons

Max Dean was cashed in by Leeds before getting the chance for a senior debut, heading with Mark Jackson to MK Dons in January 2023 when Jesse Marsch was in charge at Elland Road.

His efforts for MK Dons were not enough to keep them in League One in the first half of the season, but his return in front of goal burst into life in 23/24, managing 19 goals and five assists in 34 appearances in all competitions .

Such ruthlessness in front of goal has now earned him a route up the football ladder, interestingly with Gent in the Belgian top flight:

Leeds may have let the wrong striker go in Max Dean

When Dean’s goals in Leeds’ youth set-up first caught the eye, he was the third strike option behind standouts Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood.

The duo seemed to be the future of Leeds’ attack and when they broke through in 21/22 and contributed significantly to the survival bid under Marsch, that seemed to ring true.

However, the same dilemma has befallen both players in that neither looks to have a secure position, leaving several Elland Road managers unable to find a regular place for them in the squad – both having EFL loans quite disappointing since Dean’s 2023 transfer.

Gelhardt now appears to be on the sidelines at Leeds under Daniel Farke, while Greenwood embarks on his second season-long loan after Middlesbrough turned down the chance to exercise a £1.5m purchase option pounds which would only have seen Leeds tap into the striker advantage. .

Meanwhile, Dean shows a striker who can stretch the line, press high and aggressively and boasts the ability to finish well on either foot in a variety of positions – something he would be worth having in the current squad.

In the case of Gelhardt in particular, all it seems to take is the right environment and system to see his talent blossom, but he won’t get that at Leeds, Dean could easily have a simpler role as a number nine.