Leeds United manager Daniel Farke, Paraag Marathe in a circular insert.
Leeds United appear to be gearing up their preparations for the summer transfer window, with the areas United want to strengthen already being identified.
Obviously, before any blockbuster signings can be brought to Elland Road this summer, it is imperative that Daniel Farke ensures Leeds are still a Premier League side by the time the summer rolls around.
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It’s fair to say that for the most part, the 49ers recruited extremely well last summer, with signings such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Gabriel Gudmundsson all looking to be a vital part of Farke’s starting XI when fit.
If Leeds want to further establish themselves as a Premier League side, then they will likely need to strengthen again should they stay up, with Adam Pope revealing the positions that the Whites are looking to bolster this summer.
Goalkeeper and new striker at the top of Leeds’ agenda, claims Adam Pope
Writing for the BBC, Pope revealed that a “top-class goalkeeper and a striker” are the two positions Leeds are looking to recruit over the summer.
Given how strong Leeds’ interest was in Jorgen Strand Larsen in January before the Norwegian ultimately made the move to Crystal Palace, it is no surprise that the 49ers will search the market again for another forward.
Again, with Lucas Perri struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League and Karl Darlow being upgraded to the first-choice goalkeeper, it was always expected that Leeds would want to do business in that department.
James Trafford has been one of the names linked with a move to Elland Road recently, with the Englishman certainly fitting Pope’s criteria of a “top-class goalkeeper”, but whether a deal can be done for the out-of-favour Manchester City shot-stopper remains to be seen.
However, given both Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha’s impressive goalscoring form this season, the decision to splash big money on another striker may be questioned by some supporters, with Farke seemingly playing one up top for the bulk of the games so far this season.
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A new goalkeeper should be the priority for Leeds this summer
The prospect of finally signing someone with a safe pair of hands to play in between the sticks at Elland Road is a prospect that will surely excite supporters, and it is a signing that will be vital if Leeds are to have long-term success in the top flight.
Data also suggests that signing a new shot stopper should be a priority for the 49ers before shifting their focus to a new striker.
Leeds have conceded 45 goals so far this season in the Premier League, despite data suggesting that their expected goals against is just 39.2, suggesting many cheap goals have found their way past Perri and Darlow this season (Opta)
On the flipside, both Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin are outperforming their expected goals this season
Nmecha has scored six league goals from an xG of 5.7, whilst Calvert-Lewin has scored 10 goals from an xG of 9.26, suggesting both men have been clinical (Sofascore)
Although another striker would certainly be a massive help for Leeds, especially given Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin’s previous injury record, it would be more of a luxury signing, whilst securing a deal for a new goalkeeper in the summer is an absolute necessity.
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