Why Leeds United have offered new contract to 21-minute hot prospect on verge of predicted exit

Drameh played just 21 minutes of Championship action for Daniel Farke's Whites last season before joining Birmingham City for a loan that ran from September to the end of the campaign. That stint, which brought 29 Championship appearances for the relegated Blues, was his third loan move since asking Marcelo Bielsa if he could get gametime elsewhere in January 2022.

The youngster impressed in his first temporary transfer, to Cardiff City, stringing together a host of solid or impressive performances and taking the Player and Young Player of the Year awards despite not playing a full season. Though Jesse Marsch expressed admiration for the right-back, Drameh played a solitary Premier League game in the first half of the 2022/23 season, before spending the second half of it on loan with Luton Town, with whom he won promotion while Leeds suffered relegation.

Once again Drameh returned to Leeds for pre-season and showed determination to stay and fight for a place in the team, but after an untimely injury right at the start of the season, his only run out came at Ipswich Town as a 24th minute substitute. By half-time he had been substituted.

Speaking after the 4-3 win Farke said: "My thought was Cody because he's physically a really good player, good pace and you know that he's capable. Also he plays in the full-back position on the right side but also I got the feeling he can handle the quality and the pace of Burns. [But] it was difficult for him to come into such a hectic game and I won't blame him at all. Obviously he was involved in the second goal and two or three times Burns was in his back but it was my decision also to let him play that, so if someone wants to blame someone then definitely not Cody because he's brilliant. Always has a great attitude, always with good training intensity, sadly he missed two or three weeks in pre-season and it wasn't the easiest way for him to come late into the first competitive game during the season. So if someone is to blame them it's my decision to play him on the left side and yes, for that it didn't look that great."

Drameh promptly left to play for Birmingham on loan, in the final year of his contract with Leeds. Luke Ayling, who like Drameh found match minutes hard to come by, also went out on loan to Middlesbrough midway through a season that saw Farke hand most of the right-back minutes to teenager Archie Gray, with Sam Byram and January loan signing from Burnley Connor Roberts also featuring in the position.

And though Drameh's surplus to requirements status this season has ultimately spelled the end for his time with Leeds, which began with a 2020 £1.5m move from Fulham and a hugely impressive start to life with the Under 21s, the Whites have decided to offer him a new contract. The reasons for that are largely financial. Because he is under the age of 24, Leeds will be due some measure of compensation from whoever signs him this summer. In the majority of cases clubs simply come to an agreement on a fee but if not, the matter could go before a tribunal.

The EFL will publish all of the retained lists at 5pm on Friday June 7, sparking speculation on the future of a host of free agents, but few will pose as intriguing a prospect as Drameh given his age, ability and the 67 Championship appearances, not to mention a promotion via the play-offs, that he already has under his belt. For second tier sides in England, at the very least, he will be hot property this summer. So even though Leeds have taken a step to ensure they are compensated financially for his expected departure, the what-ifs will remain for one who will surely now get away, permanently.