Paraag Marathe and Eddie Howe
(Credit: Imago/Hasan Karim)
Evan Shaw
Thu 5 June 2025 16:10, UK
Leeds United will be desperate to re-establish themselves in the Premier League next season after a two-year stay in the Championship.
The Whites are something of a sleeping giant in English football, but like their fellow promoted sides, Burnley and Sunderland, they will need significant investment in their squad this summer if they are to survive at the top level.
The 49ers are expected to back Daniel Farke heavily in the transfer market, having seemingly decided to stick with the German, rather than replacing him with a more proven Premier League boss.
It’s set to be a challenging campaign for the West Yorkshire outfit, who will want to do everything in their power to ensure their stay at the top table of English football is a little more prolonged this time around.
Daniel Farke
Daniel Farke is expected to still be at Leeds next season. (Credit: Imago)
Marathe thinks Leeds can reach a similar level to Newcastle
In recent years, the landscape of the Premier League has altered somewhat. While the gap between the top flight and the Championship is increasing year on year, it could be argued that the gap between the ‘Big Six’ clubs and the rest is actually thinning somewhat.
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Aided by the struggles of the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle have both forced their way into regular European contention in recent years. Nottingham Forest have been the latest side to challenge the status quo this season.
While the gap on the pitch has reduced, those six clubs still boast significantly bigger revenues than the rest of the division, with Newcastle currently leading the way as ‘the best of the rest’.
Paraag Marathe is said to have ambitions of mirroring the Magpies’ recent success, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire (4 June).
“Given that I have spoken to Paraag Marathe and he was first interested in Leeds in 2008, he clearly has had a long-term interest,” Maguire revealed.
“He feels it (Leeds) is an undervalued and underappreciated part of the football industry. He thinks the potential, if they get it right, will blow you away.
“It’s taken a long time to get to the point where they have been able to make the investment, so I think they are willing to take a long-term view in resoec of the increase in value of the business, through the expansion of the stadium and establishment of themselves as a disruptor club like Newcastle and Aston Villa.”
leeds united paraag marathe
Paraag Marathe wants Leeds to reach a similar level to Newcastle. (Credit: Imago)
Leeds have the potential to challenge for trophies again
Leeds have been a shadow of their former selves over the last couple of decades, but they certainly have the potential to establish themselves among the country’s elite once again in the future, if the 49ers invest as expected.
The Whites are three-time winners of the old First Division and have also previously won both domestic cups.
The gap between them and the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ might be astronomical at this moment in time, but with Leeds having arguably one of the strongest supporter bases in the country, there is plenty of scope for them to increase their level of revenue and interest in the future.
They are perfectly capable of becoming a club like Newcastle or Villa, who can compete for domestic cups and qualify for Europe again in the future, but for now, their main focus must surely be on retaining their Premier League status as a minimum.
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