Leeds United went through a busy summer of change on and off the pitch last year following the club's relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The 49ers officially completed their takeover of the club and they moved to appoint German head coach Daniel Farke as the team's manager for the Championship season.
They also oversaw a huge transfer window for the Whites, which included a host of first-team players being moved on and nine new signings coming through the door.
Many of Victor Orta's Premier League signings were sent away from Elland Road last summer, and several of them were sent out on loan to other clubs.
One of those loanees – Max Wober – is currently enjoying an impressive season with Farke's former club Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, and they do not have an option to make the deal permanent.
The Leeds boss could have a big decision to make on him in the summer if his team are promoted to the Premier League, as the Austrian defender has outperformed Pascal Struijk during the 2023/24 campaign.
How much Leeds paid to sign Max Wober
Orta swooped to sign the centre-back from Red Bull Salzburg for a reported fee of £11m in January of last year, which was a modest outlay in comparison to the £36m deal agreed to snap up Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim.
Wober was coming off the back of an impressive first half of the season in the Austrian Bundesliga. He had made 2.9 tackles and interceptions combined per game and won 62% of his duels across 15 appearances for Salzburg in the division.
The 26-year-old titan joined a struggling Leeds team midway through the season, though, and struggled to find his feet in the Premier League in his first five months at the club.
He made 16 appearances in the English top-flight under three managers – Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce – and found the physicality of the league more challenging than it was in Austria, with a duel success rate of 53% – 9% lower than his time in the Bundesliga.
His struggles should not have come as a surprise, however, as the left-footed enforcer had to adapt to Premier League football midway through a season, having never played in the division before, and had to play under three different managers within the space of five months.
This was also reflected in Rutter's lack of impact on the pitch. The French magician, who has racked up six goals and 12 assists in the Championship this season, produced zero goals and one assist in 11 league outings.
Therefore, it would be harsh to make definitive judgements on Wober based on his form in the Premier League for the Whites during the second half of last term.
This season, however, the 6 foot 2 gem has been settled and playing regularly for Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga, and outperformed current Leeds left-sided defender Struijk.
Pascal Struijk's Championship stats this season
The Dutch colossus is currently out injured with a groin problem that has kept him out of action for 16 matches, but he started the campaign as the first-choice option in his position.
Struijk has started 22 of his 23 appearances in the Championship, having established a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur loanee Joe Rodon before his injury blow.
The academy graduate has been a dominant force at the back for Farke's side with a duel success rate of 61% in the second tier, which shows that opposition players rarely get the better of him in physical contests.
He has also made 2.1 tackles and interceptions combined along with 6.1 ball recoveries per game to win possession back for his team consistently.
In possession, Struijk suits Farke's possession-based football with his ability to pass the ball out from the back. He ranks within the top 4% of Championship centre-backs for progressive passes (6.61) per 90, and has averaged 0.77 shot-creating actions per 90.
The towering defender also ranks within the top 22% of his positional peers in the division for progressive carries (1.0) per 90, which shows that the Leeds star can carry the ball out from the back to push his side up the pitch.
The stats that show Wober is an upgrade on Struijk
Meanwhile, Wober's form in the Bundesliga suggests that he has the potential to offer more than the current Whites centre-back in and out of possession.
The 26-year-old titan, who was hailed as "gifted" by Marsch, has been a brick wall at the back for Monchengladbach throughout the current campaign in the German top-flight.
Appearances
19
23
Tackles per game
2.6
1.3
Interceptions per game
1.7
0.8
Ball recoveries per game
6.4
6.1
Clearances per game
4.7
3.1
Duel success rate
59%
61%
Errors leading to goals
Zero
One
As you can see in the table above, the Austria international has been the greater defender out of the two, having made far more interventions to prevent his goal from being troubled without making a single error that has directly led to a goal.
This suggests that Wober could cut out more opposition attacks, with recoveries, tackles, and interceptions, than Struijk without being liable to make a defensive blunder.
The Monchengladbach loan star has also showcased his quality in possession, which is why he could be perfect for Farke as the German boss' system requires defenders who excel at progressing the ball through the thirds to break teams down.
He ranks within the top 12% of Bundesliga centre-backs for shot-creating actions (1.88) per 90, and the top 8% for progressive carries (1.49) per 90 – topping the Dutchman's average in both statistics – and this shows that the talented ace would suit the current style with his ability to push the team forward and create shooting opportunities through his progressive play.
However, Struijk has averaged more progressive passes (6.61) per 90 in the Championship than Wober (5.47) has in Germany so far this season.
Overall, these statistics suggest that the Austrian enforcer could provide more quality with his actions in and out of possession as a left-footed centre-back.
It was recently reported, though, that Gladbach would like to keep hold of Wober on a permanent deal in the summer and are plotting talks to sign him, which means that supporters may never get the chance to see him in a Leeds shirt again.
If the Whites are promoted and manage to keep hold of him, however, then they appear to have an instant upgrade on Struijk on their hands.