Leeds United news: Whites put attacker contract talks 'on ice' amid January exit links

Leeds United have reportedly relaxed their efforts to agree a new contract with striker Lukas Nmecha.

Daniel Farke's side have made an exceptional start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign and remain unbeaten after four matches, sitting third in the standings behind Arsenal and Manchester City.

Leeds recorded an emphatic 4-1 success over Newcastle United on Monday night, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin found the net twice, with Noah Okafor also getting onto the scoresheet in the second half.

After comfortably avoiding relegation on their return to the Premier League in 2025-26, the Elland Road club are now on a mission to compete for European football - a luxury the likes of Bournemouth and Sunderland are enjoying this term.

Due to the team's success, it is no surprise that Leeds are supposedly close to announcing extended terms for head coach Farke, who has guided the Whites to the Championship title and beyond over the past two years.

Leeds 'not-committal' over Nmecha future

As well as head coach Farke, key players such as Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Jayden Bogle have all been rewarded with new contracts this year, however, Nmecha remains mostly in the dark.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are unwilling to offer the 27-year-old German a fresh deal at this stage, effectively leaving the striker to fight for his spot at Elland Road past the conclusion of this season.

Nmecha was the first arrival of the current Premier League era at Leeds, with the attacker signing a two-year deal which is set to expire next summer, when the player could leave as a free agent.

There is also possibility for the former Wolfsburg man to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club after January 1, meaning that the Whites would be unable to retain the services of the forward.

The report claims that Leeds are 'non-committal' in their stance around Nmecha, with the Elland Road hierarchy failing to rule out a possible exit for the player during the January transfer window.

Nmecha's Elland Road predicament

Netting six goals and providing one assist in 31 Premier League appearances last season, Nmecha was a key part of the Leeds squad which comfortably finished midtable in the top flight.

The 27-year-old is currently playing second fiddle to Calvert-Lewin at the top end of the pitch, with the ex-England international scoring three goals in the opening four league contests.

It appears extremely unlikely that Nmecha would be able to displace Calvert-Lewin from the starting XI anytime soon, meaning that a winter move away for guaranteed game time could be attractive to the German.