Championship club chief confirms Leeds United rejected permanent sale of £5m loan exit

Leeds United midfielder Darko Gyabi re-joined Plymouth Argyle on loan last week.
Leeds United knocked back enquiries from Plymouth Argyle regarding a permanent transfer for Darko Gyabi before eventually sending the midfielder out on loan.

Gyabi’s loan move to Plymouth was confirmed last week, with the 20-year-old returning to Home Park after seeing last season’s spell there cut short due to injury. A promising start to life with the Pilgrims ended due to a groin problem that required surgery, ending Gyabi’s season in March as he returned to West Yorkshire for rehabilitation work.

But after being named as Plymouth’s Player of the Month for February, Gyabi clearly impressed enough for those in charge at Home Park to commit to another season on loan. In fact, the Championship club even touted the idea of a permanent move, but Leeds were not interested.

“One of our methods of success over the last few years is having had players on loan, and then being able to go back to buy them in some cases,” Argyle director of football Neil Dewsnip told Plymouth Live. “Darko wasn’t on the market to be bought. Leeds didn’t encourage that discussion. We did have a little nibble at that but it wasn’t really on their agenda, but to get him back on loan was the next best thing we could do, and that’s what we have achieved.

“We all thought he contributed massively last year so the fact he was injured at the end of the season, that was really disappointing for me and Nance (first team coach Kevin Nancekivell) not to be able to select him. So to get him back is great, I’m really looking forward to seeing him play.”

There’s never been a better time to sign up to Inside Elland Road with Graham Smyth – offering unrivalled and in-depth coverage of Leeds United