Paraag Marathe looking at the Sunderland squad with a Leeds badge looming.
Credit: Imago
Jacob Raw
Thu 13 November 2025 16:10, UK
Leeds’ £29m duo are being eclipsed by Sunderland pair who cost about the same.
The 49ers invested over £100m on new players for Daniel Farke to use in a bid for Premier League survival.
However, Farke is now being touted for the Leeds sack, as players brought in are failing to have a major effect.
Leeds are now tipped for relegation from the Premier League, and two players that Paraag Marathe and the 49ers recruited in the summer are being shown the levels by a pair of Sunderland stars.
Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe smiling
Credit: Imago
Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff are well behind Sunderland pair
Anton Stach cost Leeds £17.3m as Sean Longstaff was signed for £12m.
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Longstaff has so far looked the better signing, as Stach is yet to establish himself as a definite starter for Farke.
Neither has set the world alight for Leeds, as Sunderland’s investment in Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki seems to have been far smarter.
Player Club Fee Games (starts) Rating
Sean Longstaff Leeds £12m 11 (9) 6.97
Anton Stach Leeds £17.3 10 (9) 6.84
Noah Sadiki Sunderland £15m 11 (11) 6.79
Granit Xhaka Sunderland £17.3 11 (11) 7.50
Longstaff and Stach in comparison with Sadiki and Xhaka, stats according to Sofascore
According to BBC Sport, Sadiki cost the Black Cats £15m, as Sky Sports reported that Xhaka cost them a total of £17.3m.
Sunderland spent just £3m more in total on two players who could explain why they sit fourth while Leeds languish in 16th.
Leeds were linked with Sadiki in the summer, who has now been nominated for Young African Player of the Year, as the 49ers truly failed in signing match-winning midfielders for Farke.
Daniel Farke’s best midfielder is Ao Tanaka
Ao Tanaka was an integral part of Leeds’ promotion-winning squad last season and needs to start ahead of either Longstaff or Stach.
The Japanese midfielder suffered injury problems at the start of the season, as he’s only managed four league starts this campaign.
Tanaka is now gaining fitness for Leeds, but was left out of the starting lineup for the 3-1 loss against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, and it showed.
Farke needs to put his trust back into Tanaka, as the 49ers need to accept the fact that Sunderland, who were supposed to be relegation rivals this year, have simply recruited better.
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