Leeds United have just three days left to complete any remaining transfer business they intend to do, putting the 49ers under a position of pressure to deliver after some bold promises from chairman Paraag Marathe.
Upon promotion from the Premier League, Paraag Marathe made a few bold statements as chairman of Leeds United, but had every right to be confident after steering Leeds in the right direction following a full takeover in 2023.
The issue that you’ve got, and that Andrea Radrizzani often fell foul of, is that quotes can sometimes come back to bite if things don’t go to plan.
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49ers under Elland Road pressure as Leeds United stare down the barrel at disastrous end to the window
Leeds built from the back this summer with shrewd additions made to reinforce in goal, defence and midfield well with established top flight quality.
The sticking point has been in attack for Leeds, but Marathe’s confidence was outlined back in May.
“Together we are going to build the best squad we can, with every penny we are allowed to spend to be competitive in the Premier League,” the American told the BBC. “We are going to attack the transfer market and it’s something I’m really excited about.”
Paraag Marathe has laid out his ambition since promotion with Leeds United, but time will tell if his comments ring true. (Action Images/Lee Smith)
Around £100million and 10 signings later and it’s hard to argue that Leeds haven’t at least spent a fair whack, but the problem is how that money has been unevenly focused away from the attack.
From Leeds’ three attacking signings, only Noah Okafor (£17million) arrived for a fee after free transfers for Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in spite of £60million worth of unsuccessful offers for Rodrigo Muniz and Igor Paixao.
It’s obvious that Leeds’ current setup lacks the goals and creative spark needed to finish above the dotted line, underscored by another attempt in the form of Facundo Buonanotte, who interestingly decided he was best off turning down a potentially beneficial loan spell at Elland Road in favour of propping up Chelsea’s bloated attacking setup for a year.
The crux of the issue is that the 49ers’ faith in the existing recruitment setup has put their necks on the line heading into the final days of the window, not exactly helped by Marathe’s further comments prior to victory over Everton:
“History shows there’s always a lot of activity in the last few weeks of the window,” the chairman told Sky Sports.
Rangers fury boiling over as 49ers make big decision that looks to be backfiring
It’s not just at Elland Road where the 49ers Enterprises are feeling the heat in the midst of summer overhauls, as their takeover at Rangers has also been swiftly met with fires to put out.
Their first major decision was to appoint Russell Martin as their new manager, and despite leaving Southampton with a tarnished reputation, he had an opportunity to rectify that with a bright start at Ibrox, making use of his ball-dominant approach with one of the best two squads by a mile in Scotland.
What has followed has been arguably the worst possible start to life at Rangers for Martin, winless in three Scottish Premiership outings while they were absolutely decimated in Champions League qualifying by Club Brugge, losing 9-1 across two legs.
It doesn’t get any easier for Martin as he heads into an Old Firm clash on Sunday having lost all faith already from the fanbase, while he’s frozen out arguably their best player Nicolas Raskin, begging the question of how long the 49ers stick by him after handing him a three-year deal.
We share the anger and frustration of our fellow supporters following the debacle in Bruges, which is the latest in a line of unacceptable results and performances under the tenure of Russell Martin.
Even this early, it is clear to see he is failing to build a Rangers team we…
— Rangers FC Fan Advisory Board (@Rangers_FAB) August 28, 2025
Of course, between the 49ers and on-field results are the decision-makers in charge of recruitment and sporting decisions, so what unfolds at Rangers and Leeds isn’t remotely symbiotic. But ultimately, the buck stops with those at the top and this weekend could prove monumental for the owners in trying to repair optics that have taken a serious hit since last Monday’s win over Everton.
For Rangers, a humbling in the Old Firm against a wounded Celtic would only damage the situation there further.
For Leeds, losing to Newcastle isn’t the end of the world, but the remaining days of the window must go well through necessary attacking recruitment, and ‘spending every penny’ as was made clear from the outset.
Optics and narratives are very hard to redirect when you’re up against it, and this weekend might be a decisive one in both clubs’ fanbases in what direction they go in.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!