Leeds United get the cash transfer bonus they’ve been waiting for as their entry target remains clear

When Cody Drameh was offered a new contract, Leeds United didn’t expect to sign him. The 22-year-old turned down the Whites and agreed terms at Hull City, ending his stay at Elland Road after less than four years.

New terms were offered because Drameh is under 24 and Leeds would be compensated if they refused to sign him for someone else. The Whites declined to go into detail about the fees they received from the Tigers, but said it would be prohibitive to pay legal fees and go through the rigging of a court.

The right-back has had three loan spells away from West Yorkshire in the past three seasons and it has been obvious to all parties that he has no future with Leeds. As he entered the final year of his contract last summer, Daniel Farke had one last look, but a disastrous return from the bench at Portman Road virtually confirmed the move he looked set to take.

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In Drameh’s defence, he came on in the 24th minute of that game at Ipswich Town at short notice for an injured Sam Byram and played out of position on the left. However, in just over 20 minutes he made more than one error and was run ragged by Wes Burns.

Farke brought Drameh on at half-time, replacing the substitute, in one of the most damaging moves for a player’s morale a manager can make. The German had no choice and things immediately improved with Jamie Shackleton.

Drameh’s failure to make a splash at Elland Road is one of the more minor mysteries of recent years at LS11. He was so good at Cardiff City that he was named player of the year with less than half a season under his belt, while Luton Town were keen to take him to the Premier League with them 12 months ago.

It just never happened for him at Leeds. He was too young to expect much while Marcelo Bielsa was in charge, but under Jesse Marsch there was a window where he could have fired.

At the start of 2022/23, after returning from that huge loan spell in Wales, he found that Rasmus Kristensen had been drafted in, while Luke Ayling was still in the mix, of course. Marsch continued to publicly support Drameh and said he deserved chances, but never gave him one.

Nobody knows how the former Fulham youth was doing in training, but Kristensen was struggling. Even then, the Dane felt like an unnecessary signing when Drameh and Ayling had enough to beat their right-back.

The move to Luton came in January of that season when it was very clear he was not getting a result and he impressed there too. United’s relegation, to the level at which Drameh did so well, seemed like the perfect last chance for him to try, but it didn’t click under Farke either.

It looks like a smart move for Hull and nobody will be surprised if he makes the kind of leap that Leif Davis made with Ipswich. There can be no regrets in West Yorkshire, however, as several managers have seen him and none of them felt they could give him the chance he wanted.

Drameh had already been ruled out by Farke as an option for next season, so nothing from this confirmation will change his transfer plans. Jayden Bogle looks set to be first-choice right-back next term, with Sam Byram currently providing cover, although he is also needed on the left.

Another full-back, either side, still looks like a smart move. Max Wober and Pascal Struijk have played at left-back in the past, but both have proven to be better suited in central defence, especially if Farke needs more of a full-back in his back three system.