Vurnon Anita Forced to Train Away From First Team as Leeds United Struggle to Find Suitors

Leeds United's Vurnon Anita has been forced to train away from the first-team with the club keen to offload him. However, the player is at risk of remaining at Elland Road beyond the transfer deadline due to a lack of interest. 

Anita has struggled to make an impact at Leeds following his move from Newcastle United in July 2017. The midfielder has been used sporadically as a full back, but has seen himself overlooked altogether under Marcelo Bielsa. As a result, he spent the 2018/19 season at Dutch side Willem II.

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The 30-year-old has fallen even further down the pecking order this season, having been unable to make the matchday squad for any of the club's six matches this season. Football Insider have now reported that Anita has been frozen out of the set-up and has been made to train away from the first-team squad.

The Peacocks were hoping he would be heading out of the exit door during the summer, but this has proven challenging. The former Newcastle man was linked with a move to Greek club Panathinaikos earlier in the summer, but the move fell through.

With time running out for the rest of Europe to sign further players, it is beginning to look increasingly likely that Anita will have to stay at his current club. The player's contract is due to expire in June next year, meaning he could have to wait until then before he's able to seal a switch. There is, of course, the January transfer window - but he will not have ample opportunity to prove his worth before then. 

Having yet to make an appearance this season, it seems clear that Bielsa is not keen to utilise his services. However, it now also appears as though the Argentine doesn't even want the outcast training around the first-team.