The summer transfer window has been and gone, and Leeds United managed to bring in 10 new players during the summer.
Leeds United now have to get to January without any new players. For Daniel Farke, deadline day came and went, and his side didn’t manage to get him what they wanted.
Ahead of the window shutting, Farke said Leeds United wanted new attacking signings on deadline day, and despite links to a number of players, including a late Leeds United push to sign Harry Wilson, the Whites ended the summer without another new signing.
But on the whole, Leeds United have still signed some good players, and they’ve made a steady start to the new campaign too.
Here are the winners and losers from Leeds United’s summer transfer window…
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The Leeds United winners from the summer transfer window
Brenden Aaronson
One player who many Leeds fans wanted to see upgraded this summer was Brenden Aaronson. Aaronson split opinion among Leeds United fans last season despite scoring nine times and featuring in all 46 Championship games. It was clear though that Leeds United needed another number 10 bringing in this summer; not just to upgrade Aaronson but to provide him with more competition too.
Several names were linked including Emi Buendia, Gustavo Hamer, Bilal El Khannouss, and then Wilson. But none of those arrived and Aaronson remains pretty much the sole number 10 at the club. Whilst it may be a concern for Farke to not have another like-for-like player in the building, for Aaronson, it could keep him in and around the first-team picture at least until January.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Likewise, another striker could have been a nice way to round off the summer transfer window. So far this season, Leeds United have scored just three once in their opening three Premier League matches, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Joel Piroe, and Lukas Nmecha the first-team strikers available.
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It is thought that Calvert-Lewin will be the starting striker when he’s fit to start. But after Calvert-Lewin endured a nightmare debut for Leeds United, there are many wondering whether or not he’ll be able to hit the ground running and score the goals to keep Leeds United in the Premier League this season. Either way, Leeds not signing another striker is a win for Calvert-Lewin, who’ll no doubt get his share of game time this season.
Largie Ramazani
With deadline day having now passed and Leeds United being unable to sign another attacker, it makes the decision to send Largie Ramazani on loan to Valencia look like a foolish one. Farke clearly wasn’t in favour of Ramazani who picked up an assist on his Valencia debut, shortly after arriving from Elland Road.
Ramazani won’t be too concerned with what’s now going on at Leeds United, and he’ll solely be focused on playing football and getting back in form after a difficult first season with Leeds. For Farke, if Ramazani goes on to really impress in La Liga this season, he may be ruing the decision to send the Belgian out on loan.
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The Leeds United losers from the summer transfer window
Illan Meslier
One player who needed to move on this summer was Illan Meslier. The Frenchman is now third choice goalkeeper behind Karl Darlow in second and summer signing Lucas Perri, who is now the starting goalkeeper. Throughout the summer, Meslier had links with a number of clubs. Going into deadline day though, it was Valencia and club Lorient most keen on signing Meslier.
But a move never materialised, and now Meslier faces a long road to January or even to the next summer transfer window. It looks like he’ll be playing very little, if any first-team football at all, potentially playing for the reserves, or right the way up until January. Not getting a move away from Leeds United during such a long summer transfer window is a real blow for Meslier.
Daniel Farke
Many will point the finger at Farke as the summer transfer window closes and Leeds United still lack a couple of additions. But Farke isn’t solely responsible for recruitment. The club has a recruitment team, a sporting director, and of course the ownership, and not getting what they want in the building as the summer transfer window closes is down to team effort, not solely Farke.
And it’s now Farke that has to try and work with this current set of players up until the January transfer window. There may be blame pointed towards chairman Paraag Marathe for not spending bigger or for not financing deals earlier in the summer. As we all know, Leeds have been linked with a horde of players since the end of last season. If Farke now goes on to lose his job because of a poor end to the summer transfer window, the German will feel hard done by.