Leeds United were unable to add to the squad in the final days of the January window. Fans were understandably quick to point fingers, but there’s clearly nuance to the argument.
Given the need for Leeds to move clear of the bottom three, there was an expectation that the club would bring in more than just Facundo Buonanotte, as much as the Argentine is a smart addition.
However, deadline day unsurprisingly petered out with a whimper. Leeds ended the window watching top target Jorgen Strand Larsen unveiled at bottom-half rivals Crystal Palace for £48million.
Leeds United fans voice concerns at 49ers’ lack of January activity twice on the bounce
The January 2026 window had a very familiar feeling and sense of urgency as the 2025 iteration. Although Leeds’ goal now is survival rather than blitzing the Championship, the importance of adding a fresh face or two felt the same.
Even though last season’s eventual league-winners were clearly good enough to achieve the goal without reinforcements – and the same can be said this season as we sit six clear – fans are justifiably frustrated at the lack of action both times.
A key reason is juxtaposition to those around us.
Club Signings made Money spent Confirmed exits Money received
15th: Crystal Palace Jorgen Strand Larsen, Brennan Johnson, Evann Guessand £78.2m Marc Guehi £20m
16th: Leeds United Facundo Buonanotte £0 Jack Harrison £0.87m
17th: Nottingham Forest Stefan Ortega, Luca Netz, Lorenzo Lucca £4.43m Arnaud Kalimuendo, Douglas Luiz, Oleksandr Zinechenko £1.3m
18th: West Ham Pablo, Taty Castellanos, Axel Disasi, Adama Traore £49m Lucas Paqueta, Luis Guilherme, Andy Irving, Guido Rodriguez, Niclas Fullkrug, James Ward-Prowse, Igor Julio £50.1m
Italics: Loans. Underlined Italics: Loan with buy option. Fees via Transfermarkt.
All three sides around Leeds have made notable signings to strengthen survival ambitions. Of course, what helps them all is the PSR headroom that Leeds clearly didn’t have.
Daniel Farke gives Leeds United January explanation as 49ers struggle to nail key targets
The question myself and many fans have is obvious. If Strand Larsen wasn’t attainable, why didn’t the club have alternatives lined up?
That topic was put to Farke during his pre-match press conference on Thursday.
“First of all it’s important for our recruitment to come up with suggestions, to be there with players we could sign. Up to me to run the football and to feel what the group needs,” Farke said, per the YEP. “Scouts have a different view, looking at the potential, but it should be the manager in charge who feels what the group need in terms of character, spirit and profile.
“Sometimes there are top players available but it doesn’t fit the profile. Sometimes you have a very good player for you and you don’t want to annoy him with another. Not just about bringing the best signings together to be successful, it’s also important to build spirit within the group.
“I’m pretty picky with who I want, it makes no sense to have 10 centre-backs of the same quality and if you have eight around in a horrendous mood because they’re not playing, it’s contradictory to what you want to achieve.”
Has Daniel Farke just pointed the finger at himself for Leeds United’s lack of January striker signing?
Farke explains his position well here, as well as the process in scouring Europe for the right signings.
Signed in the summer of 2023 as a Manager with a capital M, it was obvious Farke was given the final say on any incomings and outgoings at Leeds.
That’s a role that isn’t hard to justify, to be fair. At the end of the day, Farke is the one setting this team up for survival, so he needs to be certain that players we sign are viable for his style of play. So, when players are put to him to be signed in the summer or January, he’s the one saying yes or no.
Given the restructuring of Leeds’ recruitment system since the 49ers came in, and the strong success rate of signings in this regime, it can be safely assumed there were dozens and dozens of names per position suggested to Farke. As is standard practice.
However, despite the club’s boardroom and recruitment staff catching most of the flak, Farke here is identifying himself as the man who was unwilling to pull the trigger on a Strand Larsen alternative.
Ironically, this sort of impasse was noted by the YEP’s Graham Smyth back in the summer. Leeds’ most notable ‘failure’ this season has been signing Lucas Perri for £15.6million, a transfer that caused clear disagreement between the manager and recruitment staff:
“The YEP understands that there has been less of the transfer ‘tension’ that ex-CEO Angus Kinnear admitted to after the 2024 summer window but it has taken longer to reach a consensus and decision on the keeper than it has with other positions.”
This isn’t to say Farke is wrong by any stretch to be “picky”, in his own words. I trust him to make the right decision, as we’re six points clear thanks to his and the club’s work since promotion. That being said, the focus on boardroom haplessness might be misplaced when Farke is explicitly stating he was holding back on targets.
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