The summer transfer window for Leeds United and the rest of the Premier League is officially open as of today, and there’s a lot of work for the Whites to be getting stuck into.
Promotion to the Premier League was the big first objective of the 49ers since their takeover in 2023, but now that has been achieved, the next and more difficult task is to consolidate in the top flight.
Recruitment has been a shortcoming of the last six sides to get into the Premier League and it ultimately led to their demise with relegation back to the EFL, and Leeds will be hoping to avoid a continuation of that alarming trend.
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Here, we look at all the transfer window details and Leeds squad issues to tackle as the window gets underway…
When is this summer’s transfer window in the Premier League?
This summer represents a unique situation for Leeds and the rest of their Premier League and European counterparts, with the window now open, but not for long initially.
The FIFA Club World Cup taking place between June 14 and July 13 means that the window is split into two segments, opening today (June 1) and closing at 7pm on June 10, in order to allow the sides competing in that competition to strengthen in time for the first game.
After that initial closure, the window re-opens for the remainder of the summer on Monday June 16, to then shut at 7pm on Monday September 1.
The reason for the deadline being brought forward four hours from 11pm to 7pm is in order to aid staff members of each club in having reasonable working hours on that day.
What signings will Leeds be focusing on making at first?
Upon promotion, it’s hard to totally pin down which positions Leeds will end up strengthening in, given that virtually every starting XI slot will have to match that of 17 Premier League mainstays to stand a chance of survival.
Daniel Farke and Leeds United’s recruitment staff have plenty of work to do this summer. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
However, two stand out right away as needing extra reinforcements, and that’s what happens in each penalty area with a new goalkeeper sure to be sought, as well as a striker to compete with or replacer golden boot winner Joel Piroe.
Away from that, an attacking midfielder has long been a focus of Daniel Farke’s, while Junior Firpo and Sam Byram being out of contract leaves a big hole at left-back to fill, while other positions will require more depth and quality to cope with the top flight.
What players could Leeds United sell this summer? Are there PSR concerns?
In terms of outgoings, there is always the headache of trying to comply with PSR guidelines, and even though Leeds will be bringing in the big bucks through Premier League TV revenue et cetera, their threshold for permitted losses stands at around £61million.
It means that Leeds may find it within reason to broker a significant sale or two in order to give themselves more leeway on PSR, with academy players and those signed on small fees worth consideration if their values have soared under Farke.
With a new goalkeeper certain to be on the agenda, it begs the question of whether Illan Meslier could be one of those in the firing line for a sale too, aged 25 with plenty of top flight experience under his belt.
Jack Harrison’s future also remains in serious doubt after his two unpopular loan spells away at Everton, unlikely to be welcomed back at all by the fanbase both on an emotional level, and on a footballing level either.