Leeds United defensive duo Barry Douglas and Gaetano Berardi are likely to leave the club at the end our their respective contracts, according to Leeds Live.
The Whites are top of the Championship as things stand and look very well placed to end their 16-year absence from the Premier League – if and when the 2019/20 season resumes.
Douglas and Berardi have both played bit-part roles in Leeds' promotion push this season.
The former suffered a nasty injury at the end of the 2018/19 campaign and has been hampered by a number of niggles this time around.
When Douglas has been fit, the excellent performances of Stuart Dallas at left-back have kept him out of the starting XI and Gjanni Alioski has pushed him down the pecking order – reducing him to just 13 appearances this season.
Berardi has played a slightly more important role and has been called up to replace Liam Cooper on a number of occasions, with the Leeds captain having had his fair share of injury problems this term.
According to Leeds Live, both men look likely to leave at the end of their respective contracts.
On Douglas, the report notes: "Injuries have crippled his ability to gather any momentum and since he arrived Stuart Dallas and Ezgjan Alioski have each muscled in on his turf. Hard to see him remaining beyond the end of his current deal in 2021."
While on Berardi, it says: "The writing is already on the wall for the popular Swiss. Berardi was conspicuous by his absence from the raft of contract extensions last autumn. At 31, with promotion possibly looming, his time may be done in West Yorkshire when his deal expires at the end of 19/20."
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The Verdict
The suggestion that Douglas and Berardi are coming to the end of their Leeds careers is perhaps no surprise given the events of this season and the fact that the Whites are closing in on promotion to the Premier League.
Things haven't really worked out for Douglas and for Berardi, who has been something of a cult hero at the Yorkshire club, you feel at 31 he may not be what they need in the Premier League.
It will be interesting to see whether one or both make their Elland Road exits this summer.