Leeds United shouldn’t try to "sprint before they can walk" as they prepare for life back in the Premier League, Paul Merson has warned.
The Whites earned promotion back to the top division at the second attempt this season, securing the Championship title with a late goal on the final day of the campaign against Plymouth Argyle.
While the current Premier League season still has just over a week to run, Leeds’ preparations for their return to the league have already begun. The team have already been linked with a host of transfers ahead of the summer window opening.
It’s been reported by Sky Sports that Daniel Farke could be handed a transfer budget of more than £100 million in the window as the club look to strengthen their squad. The same report links the Whites with an interest in Everton striker Beto, who has scored eight times in 28 appearances in the Premier League so far this season.
Leeds are said to be targeting moves for a new goalkeeper, centre-back, central midfielder and centre-forward. During the open-top bus parade celebrating the Championship title win, chairman Paraag Marathe outlined his ambition for the club.
"This is a journey, this is not the end. We have to keep going, this is what Leeds does,” he said.
"We are going to have some difficulties, but we are going to get where we want to go and we are going to be one of the best clubs in all of Europe."
However, ahead of the new season, Merson has warned the Whites about the jump from the Championship to the Premier League. The last two seasons have seen all three promoted teams relegated back to the second tier, highlighting the gap between the two leagues.
“People not getting carried away,” Merson told Sky Sports when asked what the biggest challenge for Leeds and Burnley could be. “I think that's the problem, getting carried away.
“If you're one of the promoted teams who come up, you want to finish 17th in the league. If you can get 17th in the league, you have pulled up trees at the highest level, for me the manager should get manager of the season.
“Then you stay in the league and you get some more revenue so you can buy another quality player or two, then you stay another season and buy another two. Before you know it, you're a Brentford or a Fulham or a Brighton and all of a sudden you're a solid middle of the table team who can beat the big boys on their day.
“But fans come up, the owners come up and they all look at [Nottingham] Forest this season and think ‘we can do what Forest did’, and everybody gets carried away. Come up, get 17th, and build. Everybody starts to sprint before they can walk in the Premier League. The gulf is phenomenal, it's phenomenal how big it is.”
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