“The fans were really hard on all the players that left, that had clauses in their contracts to either get loaned out or were sold, I want him to go somewhere else”- Jesse Marsch says Leeds fans were harsh on players who left club last summer as he advices midfielder he signed at club against returning to Elland Road

Jesse Marsch believes Leeds United fans were ‘really hard’ on Brenden Aaronson and other players who left the club last summer.

Aaronson was among a number of players to force a move away from Elland Road due to a release clause in his contract, which could be activated following relegation to the Championship. The American was joined by the likes of Marc Roca, Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra and Robin Koch in leaving Leeds during a chaotic summer.

American midfielder Aaronson is among a handful set to return at the end of the season and those in charge at Elland Road will soon have a decision to make, with fans clear in their anger towards those perceived to have jumped ship. The 23-year-old is currently on loan at Union Berlin in Germany and Marsch believes there would be plenty of interest if he does leave Leeds permanently.

“I haven’t been in touch with anyone inside the club,” Marsch told the Call It What You Want podcast. “I don’t really know what the thought process would be. I know the fans were really hard on all the players that left, that had clauses in their contracts to either get loaned out or were sold. 

“I’m not sure about the whole status or the mentality of what’s going on with the club. When you look at the play-offs now in the Championship, oh my goodness, there’s some good clubs in there. That is going to be tight, whoever emerges from that will have earned it, no question. 

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“I think that, regardless, with Brenden, there will be plenty of suitors around Europe. One thing we know is he needs to get back to playing regular minutes. In the second-half of the season, he established himself more, played a little bit more and had some better performances in general.

“He’s such a great kid. He’s a really quality player. He will always do everything he can for the team, I just want to see him excel, I want to see him go somewhere else where it feeds into the type of football that he can play, where he can be rewarded. I’m not sure where that will be, but I think he’ll find that.”

Some reports have suggested that such clauses would become active again this summer if Leeds fail to achieve promotion, although there has been no confirmation of that. Regardless of the play-off outcome, those in charge at Elland Road will have a decision to make on a number of returning loanees.

Of last summer’s temporary exits, Sinisterra and Koch definitely won’t be returning. Leeds agreed a £20million fee with Bournemouth for the former in February, while the latter’s contract in West Yorkshire expires in June and he has already agreed to extend his stay with Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.

Aaronson, Roca, Kristensen, Diego Llorente and Jack Harrison are all due to return following respective loan spells. Whether they wear a white shirt again or move on remains to be seen but many supporters have made their feelings clear about the prospect of any reconciliation.