Leeds United and the other promoted sides have impressed this season in the Premier League, performing better than many Championship graduates in recent years. However, a strong start doesn’t guarantee safety, and they still have plenty of work to do before they can start celebrating.
Daniel Farke’s side sit 15th in the Premier League table on 11 points, and have matched the start that Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds team made in the 2020/21 season, where they finished ninth in the standings.
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No promoted team in the last ten years were relegated once they had 11 points from their first ten games, so Leeds have recent precedents backing their bid to survive in the top flight this season.
However, nothing has been decided yet, and the January transfer window is seen as a key to everyone’s survival hopes, and one of Leeds’ relegation rivals could receive a body blow this winter.
Leeds United relegation rivals could lose their star striker
Wilson Isidor has been a top performer for Sunderland, who have shocked many with their performances after earning promotion through the play-off route.
The Frenchman has scored four goals in nine Premier League appearances, including against Chelsea in Sunderland’s 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
However, the forward is now attracting interest from clubs higher up in the food chain, with Aston Villa believed to be keen to snare him away from the Black Cats.
Experienced scout Mick Brown insisted that Sunderland are determined to hold on to the striker. However, the reality is that his performing well this season was always going to attract interest.
However, he feels Sunderland will do everything in their power not to lose Isidor after making such a good start in the Premier League this season.
“Unfortunately, this is the way it tends to work”, Brown told Football Insider.
“If you get promoted from the Championship and start the season strongly, and your players are proving they can impress at this level, it’s going to attract interest.
“It’s a difficult situation for Sunderland, really, because they obviously want to keep these players.
“Isidor in particular is attracting interest, and a lot of top clubs have had scouts watching him.
“They’ll have been keeping tabs on his performance against Chelsea, because that shows he can do it against the top sides and not just those down the bottom.
“Sunderland experienced it in the Championship last season, with clubs looking at their players.
“It’s no different now, and whether it’s Isidor or anybody else, I expect they’ll be determined not to lose them after having such a good start.”
Leeds United may have a few decisions to make in January
It is no surprise that Isidor is in demand by any top club looking for a clinical finisher, and Sunderland could legitimately lose him in the winter window.
Leeds will look to add to their squad rather than lose players. However, the Premier League’s PSR regulations are a huge complicating factor for the Whites.
They maxed out their PSR spending in the summer, but Daniel Farke is still looking to bring in at least two attacking players in January.
However, Leeds may have to sell a couple of key players to create PSR headroom to spend more money in the winter transfer window.
Financial reality could force Leeds to try something else, and they may either sell a couple of key players or move towards the loan route to strengthen their squad.
Leeds have their eyes on Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley and have continued to keep tabs on Fulham’s Harry Wilson.
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