Recent history suggests that Leeds United are going to find it incredibly difficult to avoid an instant relegation from the Premier League next season.
The last six teams to have been promoted from the Championship have been relegated in their first season back in the top-flight in the last two campaigns, including Southampton, Leicester, Ipswich, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Luton.
daniel farke
This illustrates the huge gap in quality between the two divisions and shows that the Whites will not find the step up easy, despite their 100-point haul in the second tier.
Daniel Farke, of course, already has experience of how difficult it can be, as his Norwich City side were relegated in the 2019/20 campaign, after they had won the Championship title the previous season.
However, his Canaries team went up alongside Aston Villa and Sheffield United, and both of those teams avoided the drop in their first year back in the Premier League.
There were many reasons that those sides stayed up and Farke's Norwich outfit did not, but a key player in Villa's success since their promotion has been all-action midfielder John McGinn.
Why Leeds United need a player like John McGinn
Without meaning to state the obvious, the Premier League is an incredibly high-quality division that requires a high level of both technical quality and athleticism in order for players and teams to shine.
It is not enough to just be technically sound, if you do not have the athleticism to match it, and it is not enough to just have physical qualities, as you need to be technically good enough to compete.
Aston-Villa-John-McGinn
McGinn has been a key player for Villa since earning promotion with the club in 2019 because he has the physical and technical qualities required to be a star in the middle of the park, racking up 203 appearances in the Premier League to date.
The Scotland international has provided a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Villans, with a return of 17 goals and 25 assists in those 203 outings, which shows that he can make a decent impact in the final third from a central midfield position.
McGinn can also compete out of possession with his peers in the top-flight. In the 2024/25 campaign, for example, he averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per game and won 4.1 duels per match in midfield.
Leeds need their own version of the Scottish star because they need players who can compete technically and physically in the Premier League, and they are reportedly eyeing a gem who could be Farke's own version of the Villa ace.
Leeds in talks to sign Ligue 1 star
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Leeds United are in talks to sign Strasbourg central midfielder Habib Diarra to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Italian reporter stated: "They are in negotiations for the player. He's really appreciated.
"Diarra is one of the most appreciated options internally, but it's not an easy deal because of the valuation, so it's still complicated to make it happen. But Leeds are trying."
It was previously reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post that the Championship champions have already had an offer of £22m rejected by the French side for the midfielder, and it remains to be seen exactly how much it will take to secure his signature this summer.
habib-diarra-senegal
Leeds are in talks, per Romano's latest update, though, and they will now be hoping to strike an agreement with Strasbourg in the weeks to come.
Why Leeds should sign Habib Diarra
The Whites should be pushing to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old central midfielder because he has the potential to be Farke's own version of John McGinn.
Per FBref, the Aston Villa star is the most comparable player to Diarra in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions out of all attacking midfielders, based on their respective statistics over the past 365 days.
[FBCharts] John McGinn Comparisons
As you can see in the chart above, McGinn and Diarra excel in similar areas of the game, particularly in possession, and this means that the Senegal international could come in and have a similar impact at Elland Road as the Scottish dynamo has had at Villa Park.
The Leeds target has been a regular for Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, which means that he has already proven himself in one of Europe's major leagues. Whereas, the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka have all yet to establish themselves as top-flight players.
Diarra, who scored against England for Senegal in June, caught the eye with his impressive performances in and out of possession in the French top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign.
24/25 Ligue 1 Habib Diarra
Appearances 30
xG 3.34
Goals 4
xA 4.27
Assists 5
Recoveries per 90 3.44
Duels won per 90 3.78
Tackle success rate 59%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the right-footed dynamo has similar attributes to McGinn in the middle of the park, as he can deliver goals and assists whilst also winning duels and being efficient as a tackler.
The 21-year-old star, who was described as a "complete" midfielder by analyst Ben Mattinson, can combine solid defensive work off the ball with the potential to be a difference-maker in the final third with his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr celebrates with Habib Diarra and Cherif Ndiaye after scoring their first goal
Diarra could, therefore, be Farke's own version of McGinn at Elland Road, and be a Premier League-ready talent for the Whites to put in their starting XI on day one in August.
As aforementioned, Leeds need players who can combine physical and technical qualities if they want to avoid an instant relegation, and signing the Strasbourg star would mean that they have one more of them in the door.
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