Leeds United’s pre-season preparations will kick up a notch this week ahead of their trip to Sweden.
Leeds United are into their second week of pre-season training and it’s a week that ends with a matchday. Daniel Farke’s side will be at Thorp Arch for a few more days before jetting off to Stockholm, where their first pre-season friendly against Manchester United takes place on Saturday.
The large majority of first-team players have been put through their paces once again this week, including a quartet of new arrivals, and the club posted another short video of what they’ve been up to on YouTube. Below, the YEP takes a look at 4 key takeaways ahead of that weekend trip to Sweden.
Bornauw settling well
Leeds have so far welcomed four new signings through the door this summer and three of them are very visible throughout the training video. All of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw look to have settled in nicely, with the latter wasting no time in barking out instructions to his new teammates during what looks to be a rondo drill.
In a recent interview, former Wolfsburg teammate Josuha Guilavogui said Bornauw ‘will always be loud in training’ and those leadership qualities are already evident, even a snippet of video. The Belgian international can be seen instructing others on where to move and who is open for a pass, clearly keen to get his voice heard early - which will be noted by teammates and coaches.
Harrison involved
Leeds will welcome back a handful of loanees this summer and the most talked about is certainly Jack Harrison. The 2019/20 promotion winner twice activated a relegation release clause to join Everton but cannot do so again this time round, with eagle-eyed viewers spotting him in and amongst the pre-season video.
It remains to be seen how Leeds plan to proceed with Harrison, although some clarity might come this week if he is involved - or not - in Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Manchester United, given there is almost a full squad available. Joe Gelhardt is also briefly spotted in the background of the video, although neither Sam Greenwood nor Darko Gyabi appear.
Ramazani sharp
Largie Ramazani might feel he has a point to prove this summer, having been used sparingly by Farke last season after an ankle injury sidelined him for just over one month in autumn. With loan star Manor Solomon now not expected to return, a spot on the right wing has opened up and it’s there for whoever performs well enough this summer to claim it.
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Speaking with LUTV last week, Ramazani said he was ‘flying’ and the 24-year-old managed to get on camera one of his trademark sharp turns. It’s unclear who punches in a pass but the winger takes it under control and spins the on-rushing Bijol in one swift move, something fans will hope to see plenty of next season.
New balls please
Leeds’ return to the top-flight also means they’ll be working with a different ball in training - but it’s no longer manufactured by Nike. From the 2025/26 campaign onwards, Puma will still provide match balls for the EFL but also a special design for the Premier League, which is a beauty.
Farke’s squad will no doubt be getting a nice early feel for the new ball and its 12-panel design, which one would expect to be in use when Leeds face Premier League rivals Manchester United on Saturday. The likes of Ramazani and co. will hope to see it ripple many an opposition net between now and May.
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