Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign and return to the Premier League, huge questions were raised about Leeds United’s need for goals if they were to secure survival.
The hierarchy completed deals for Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha during the summer - with only the former of the trio arriving at Elland Road for a fee.
Many questioned whether Daniel Farke’s side had done enough to stay up and buck the recent trend of promoted teams suffering an immediate return to the second tier.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke looks dejected after the match
The aforementioned trio have already netted 16 of the club’s 31 league goals this season, with seven teams in England’s top-flight registering fewer strikes to date.
However, it didn’t stop the hierarchy from targeting added attacking reinforcements during January, but unfortunately, their efforts were to no avail.
How close Leeds came to signing Harry Wilson in January
In an attempt to bolster the ranks during the summer window, Leeds targeted a vast number of attacking options, with many of whom currently plying their trade in the Premier League.
Jorgen Strand Larsen was one of the biggest talking points, whilst the club also pursued a move for Harry Wilson for the third consecutive transfer window.
Fulham's Harry Wilson
The Welsh international has been one of the division’s star men this campaign, as seen by his tally of eight goals and four assists in his 23 outings to date.
However, with his contract set to expire in June, Farke’s men were one of a number of clubs targeting a move to land the 28-year-old on the cheap.
It’s unclear if the Whites ever made an official approach to Marco Silva’s men, but their stance was evident from the get go - Wilson was not for sale.
Should the club stay up come the end of May, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the hierarchy once again making a move for his signature as a priority.
Former Leeds star is now in better form than Wilson
Given the numbers produced by Wilson in the Premier League this season, missing out on his signature will undoubtedly be a bitter blow for Leeds.
Fulham's Harry Wilson during the warm up before the match
His talents in the final third will no doubt have increased the club’s chances of remaining as a top-flight outfit, but such a move must now be forgotten about.
It’s clear that Calvert-Lewin is capable of providing the goods within the final third, with the Englishman’s tally of nine goals the highest in the first team.
There will certainly be expectations on the likes of Okafor and Nmecha to also provide the goods between now and the end of the season to help take some of the pressure off the talisman’s shoulders.
However, the responsibility of providing the goods would certainly have been balanced across the front three had the hierarchy managed to keep hold of winger Crysencio Summerville.
Summerville Leeds stats (timeless)
The Dutchman managed to capture the hearts of the fanbase during his stint at Leeds, producing numerous moments of magic during his three-year stint in Yorkshire.
The Dutchman joined the club in 2021, originally linking up with the youth setup, before making the jump up to the first-team and being a monster hit at Elland Road.
He scored the winner against Liverpool at Anfield back in the 2022/23 campaign, but it wasn’t enough come the end of the season as the club dropped into the Championship.
Relegation would be a blessing in disguise for his career, registering 20 goals and nine assists in 2023/24 for the Whites, but failure to secure promotion led to a £25m move to join West Ham United.
summerville
The hierarchy were forced to sell the attacker, but keeping hold of the 24-year-old would have handed Farke the perfect attacking option in the Premier League this campaign.
Summerville, who’s been described as "unstoppable" by statistician David O'Brien, has now scored in four consecutive games for the Hammers, which no doubt could come back to bite the Whites in the weeks ahead. To put that into context, while Wilson has been one of the form players in the top-flight this term, the Welshman has scored twice across his last four outings.
Crysencio Summerville - PL stats (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals & assists
Pass accuracy
Chances created
Successful dribbles
Dribble success rate
Duels won
Fouls won
Stats via FotMob
Whilst he operates on the opposite flank to Wilson, the winger has become known to cut inside off the left-hand side and fire home with his right - just as the Welshman has off the right-hand side.
Both are incredible ball-strikers who can change a game in an instance, something which Farke’s side desperately crave in their attempt to beat the drop from the Premier League.
There’s no denying every supporter wishes they could have kept hold of him, given his astronomical numbers at Elland Road, but ultimately, their failure to secure promotion cost them dearly.
Their loss is undoubtedly West Ham’s gain, with the Dutchman having the star quality to put a dent in any chance Farke’s men have of securing top-flight survival.
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