Leeds United have completed most of their transfer deals smoothly this summer. But in these last few weeks, things have not really gone their way.
The club’s process this summer was targeting players who wanted to play for Leeds. Daniel Farke played a key part in convincing some of the players to join the current project. Lukas Nmecha and Lucas Perri spoke highly of the City and the excitement they had ahead of playing at Elland Road.
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But not all transfers have gone smoothly. Especially with Leeds’ last major target. The Whites set their sights on Brazilian winger Igor Paixao. Leeds put together a solid proposal for the player, and he was on board for the most part. The club ended up in a straight battle with Ligue 1 side Marseille, and eventually missed out on the former Feyenoord man.
When Paixao was asked why he chose the move to France, he had this to say:
“That’s an easy question. OM is a club with values. It’s very special for me. I want to give my all. It’s a big responsibility, we’re going to do something great.”
QUIZ: Can you name the missing player from these 10 famous Leeds United photos?
Leeds United miss out on another big move
Credit: Imago
So many fans around the club were focused on Leeds missing out on Igor Paixao, that they also missed the fact that the club lost out on another big signing. Graham Smyth has reported that the Whites were contenders to sign Japanese international Ristu Doan. Smyth shared this in his newsletter:
“The YEP understands that among their other targets they looked at SC Freiburg’s Ritsu Doan, who would have cost €20m or upwards, and liked what they saw.
“But Champions League side Eintracht Frankfurt are close to completing that deal. The money is there, the intention appears to be as well.
“Intentions are one thing, completed signings are another. Deals are complicated, they can take time and they can quickly unravel.”
Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed that Doan is on his way to Eintracht Frankfurt this summer.
🚨🦅 Eintracht Frankfurt have agreed deal to sign Ritsu Doan from Freiburg, here we go!
Exclusive details: €21m fixed fee plus €1m add-ons. Deal done. 🇯🇵
It’s the biggest transfer of the current Japanese national team and 3rd in history. pic.twitter.com/5aazIKUCGw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2025
What next for Leeds?
The club have less than two weeks before they face Everton in their Premier League opener. Daniel Farke has revealed that a number of players are suffering from knocks and injuries just days till the start of the season.
Leeds must now act quickly to add reinforcements to the team, especially in the attack, as the club are expected to lose players in the coming days.
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