Leeds United expect Vurnon Anita to have a deal in place to leave the club next week, according to a report by Football Insider.
The midfielder has been allowed to find a new club this summer and has been in extensive talks with Greek outfit Panathinaikos about a potential switch.
The Whites are understood to believe a deal for their 30-year-old misfit is edging closer to completion and will see him depart Elland Road imminently.
It became rather apparent that Anita was not a part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans when he arrived at Leeds last summer as the former Holland international spent the entirety of last season on loan with Willem II (Transfermarkt).
A hugely versatile figure, as the 30-year-old can play as either a defensive midfielder or as a full-back on either flank (WhoScored), things clearly have not gone to plan for him since joining the club on a free transfer from Newcastle United in 2017 (club’s official website).
He has made just 22 appearances during his two-year spell at the club (Transfermarkt). Anita later admitted in an interview with Dutch press that his time at Elland Road had felt like a “dead-end” and that he did not want to stay if Bielsa did not want him there.
As Football Insider reported, he was mainly used as a back-up during both Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom’s tenures at the club and never really got the opportunities he would have wanted.
As mentioned, it should hardly come as a surprise to hear that Anita is on the verge of leaving Leeds this summer.
Despite all the experience he has gained over the years playing for the likes of Newcastle, Ajax and Holland (Transfermarkt), Bielsa clearly feels the 30-year-old is surplus to requirements at Elland Road and is not needed for their promotion push this season.
A move for everyone involved is probably best for everyone involved and one that no-one is going to lose any sleep over.
Leeds fans, what do you make of how Anita’s career at the club has turned out? Let us know your thoughts below by sharing them in the comments section!
