Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has warned Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises they will have to significantly splash the cash if the club secure a Premier League return.
With less than two months left of the 20245/25 season to go, the Whites are in good shape to gain promotion. A 17-match unbeaten run has helped United open up a three-point cushion at the top of the table.
But the Premier League is a demanding, unforgiving division. The three clubs promoted from the Championship last season - Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton - all look set to come straight back down. The three clubs currently sit in the relegation zone, having won just nine matches between them.
Speaking to Football League World, Hendrie said: “You look at teams from past seasons where the top three have gone up and really struggled, and that is the problem at the moment.
“If you are a team that has got a decent foundation, which I think Leeds have at the moment, I do think they have got some really good players at the moment.
“Their home form really speaks for itself and Elland Road is a bit of a fortress, which always helps, but we are talking about the step-up to the Premier League and how much needs to be spent.
“£100m seems like absolutely nothing when some of the clubs in the Premier League are spending that on one player, or £80m.
“I think it is about getting the personnel, but they will need to spend and invest if they are going to survive in the Premier League, but they will have a good foundation. You are going to be talking about over £150m if they are to survive."
United will have big decisions to make on out-of-contract trio Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Josuha Guilavogui as well as loan players Joe Rothwell and Manor Solomon. “We have seen Ipswich spend a fair bit of money to try and survive in the league and have really found it difficult," said Hendrie. "I think it is all about getting the right personnel in, if anything, with probably more experience rather than youth.
“It seems to be the case that a lot of clubs that are coming into the Premier League are looking at youth to get a building approach if they inevitably get relegated, and that seems to be the case over the past few seasons that they just can’t survive.
“For some of these clubs that do get promoted, it is about building a foundation for the future where they will stand a chance if they get the opportunity again.”