Leeds United have recently announced that defender, Lewie Coyle has left the club to join Fleetwood Town on loan. 

This will be Coyle's second successive season out on loan with Fleetwood, and it's clear to see that the full-back isn't in Marcelo Bielsa's plans for the immediate future.

In an interview with Football Insider, former Leeds man, Noel Whelan thinks that Bielsa has made a smart move in sending him out on loan for the upcoming season.

"We’ve got players in that area that Marcelo Bielsa wants.

"We’ve seen him be ruthless with young lads, if they’re not part of his plans, they get sold. Lewie Coyle probably would be third or fourth choice, you can’t keep a player there that’s not going to be in the first team. It’s the right thing for both parties – I think he’d rather know now and go back to Fleetwood.

But Whelan was quick to admit that he doesn't see a future for the full-back at Elland Road, and felt that his development is best served away from Bielsa's side at this moment in time.

"(His future) is away from Leeds. We’ve seen that with other players that have gone out on loan – Paudie O’Connor, (Conor) Shaughnessy – they’re not required at Leeds so why hold them back?

"You may as well get them off the books, get the experience and who one day might come back to Leeds United as a first-team player."

Leeds get their season underway with a potentially tricky trip to Ashton Gate to take on Lee Johnson's Bristol City side who will be keen to get off to a winning start themselves.

The Verdict: 

I agree with Whelan in saying that his future lies away from Elland Road.

He's been out on loan in recent years, and evidently isn't in Marcelo Bielsa's plans for the future, so I have no idea why the club haven't decided to sell him yet.

Coyle clearly isn't up to the standard of the Championship, so they're just delaying the inevitable in my opinion, and they should be moving him on at the earliest of opportunities next season.