The last two seasons, the promoted Championship clubs have all come down at the first time of asking. Leeds United will be hoping to break the mould next season.
Leeds United dominated the Championship last season, albeit being taken right to the wire by Burnley. Daniel Farke’s side amassed an incredible 100 points, along with Scott Parker’s Burnley, with both teams finishing an incredible 24 points ahead of Sunderland who eventually won the Championship play-off final.
And all three teams have made positive moves so far in this summer’s transfer window. But once again, it may well be Leeds who are expected to perform the best out of the three promoted sides, given their existing quality and the quality they’ve since added to the side with the signings of names like Anton Stach, Sean Longstaff, and several others.
But the 49ers won’t be counting their chances. In fact, the Leeds United owners want the club to be in the European places within five years, so there’s a lot of work to do, and the club simply can’t afford relegation in their first season back in the top flight.
pundit Stephen Warnock during the Carabao Cup Final.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Stephen Warnock makes brilliant Leeds United prediction
Speaking to This Is Anfield on YouTube, former defender turned Sky Sports pundit Stephen Warnock gave his verdict on who will be relegated from the Premier League next season. Immediately, he said it was hard to look past the three promoted teams in Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland.
But the 43-year-old then went on to add West Ham into the mix, suggesting that Graham Potter’s side may even be relegated from the top flight next season.
Warnock said: “It’s very tough to look past the three that came up. But I think I am actually going to throw West Ham in there. I think they’re going to struggle this year,” he said, before predicting that Burnley, Sunderland, and West Ham will be relegated next season.
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Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland’s summer signings all compared
It’s no secret that Leeds and Sunderland have been involved in a few transfer battles this summer. It’s also no secret that the Black Cats have won the bulk of those battles, with the main one surrounding Habib Diarra.
Sunderland beat Leeds United to the signing of Diarra from Strasbourg in a deal that cost almost £30million. But Leeds United followed that up with the signings of Longstaff and Stach in midfield.
The Black Cats also signed Reinildo Mandava, Noah Sadiki, and Marc Guiu who were all wanted by Leeds this summer.
Burnley signings Sunderland signings Leeds United signings
Kyle Walker Reinildo Mandava Lucas Perri
Martin Dubravka Marc Guiu Gabriel Gudmundsson
Axel Tuanzebe Noah Sadiki Sebastiaan Bornauw
Max Weiss Habib Diarra Jaka Bijol
Jacob Bruun Larsen Simon Adingra Sean Longstaff
Zian Flemming Enzo Le Fee Anton Stach
Quincy Hartman Chemsdine Talbi Lukas Nmecha
Jaidon Anthony Granit Xhaka
Marcus Edwards Robin Roefs
Bashir Humphreys
Loum Tchaouna
Lesley Ugochukwu
Burnley meanwhile triggered a number of options to buy following promotion, having also signed Lesley Ugochukwu in a £25million deal from Chelsea.
All three promoted teams have made strong moves so far and all three will likely make more before the summer is out, potentially dragging more teams like West Ham into the mix next season, and throwing the relegation picture wide open.