Those of a Leeds United persuasion would have bitten your hand off to be where the club is right now at the start of the season, now into the last eight of the FA Cup and still well-placed to secure Premier League survival.
There's no denying it's been a bumpy 2026 in the top-flight, with the Whites' last win coming against Nottingham Forest in early February, but, slowly but surely, Daniel Farke's men just keep getting points on the board.
The German coach has defied the odds to mould a competitive, battling outfit at Elland Road, a point best highlighted on Sunday afternoon, as ten-man Leeds ground out a draw at Selhurst Park, with Crystal Palace failing to even register a single shot on target despite their player advantage.
Leeds-United
There is a steel to this Leeds side, no question, but another layer needs to be added, with this summer the perfect opportunity to phase out some of the key Championship-winning core.
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The spine of the side that romped to the second-tier title last term has successfully made the step up to life in the Premier League, be it Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon or Jayden Bogle.
That being said, arguably the biggest success stories have come from those brought in last summer by Farke and co, namely Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and James Justin, all of whom have elevated Farke's side in 2025/26.
Already, those who played a key role in securing promotion have been gradually shunted down the pecking order, with Ao Tanaka largely restricted to a watching brief, alongside second-tier scoring sensation, Joel Piroe.
Piroe-Brownhill-Championship-top-scorers 24-25 (timeless)
Indeed, the Suriname international was the Championship's leading scorer last term, yet is still waiting to get off the mark at Premier League level, with his only goal this time around coming against second-tier opposition, Norwich City, in the FA Cup.
The likes of Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto have also fallen by the wayside somewhat, amid the shift to a 3-5-2, while, despite a brief purple patch, Brenden Aaronson's place in the side no longer looks secure.
Aaronson
The hard-working American does boast four goals and three assists in the league this season, although he hasn't contributed since netting twice against Newcastle United in early January.
From his nine league goals last time out, the 25-year-old - much like Piroe - hasn't exactly flourished following the step up, with Leeds still seeking a creative upgrade in the mould of a Pablo Hernandez or a Georginio Rutter.
Both Piroe and Aaronson could well be among those to be moved on at the end of the campaign, although Leeds do have other priorities to solve with regard to outgoings.
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While the likes of Piroe and Aaronson may still have a role to play between now and the end of the season, there are those on the books whose long-term futures should well lie elsewhere, including the raft of figures out on loan.
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The likes of Max Wober, Joe Gelhardt and Mateo Joseph all appear likely to have turned out in a Leeds shirt for the last time, while the same could also be true of forgotten man, Isaac Schmidt.
Currently out on loan at Werder Bremen, alongside Wober, the 26-year-old was a peripheral figure at Elland Road even in the Championship, having been firmly behind Bogle and Junior Firpo in that full-back berth.
isaac-schmidt-leeds
Indeed, the Swiss defender made just 12 league appearances and only 14 in all competitions in 2024/25, following his £2.5m switch from St Gallen, failing to earn a single Championship start under Farke's watch.
Unsurprisingly, the versatile talent was allowed to depart for Germany upon Leeds' promotion, with that switch at least proving beneficial for Schmidt, with 16 Bundesliga outings to date.
As he has shown away from Leeds, his ability to feature on either flank, be it as a wing-back or wide midfielder, is a real asset, with there perhaps an argument that Schmidt would be well-suited to Farke's current 3-5-2 set-up.
That being said, considering he was overlooked for much of last term, it would appear that the ship has already sailed in that regard, not least with Bremen holding an option to buy at the end of the season.
Schmidt - 25/26 Bundesliga stats
Stat (*per game)
Games
Starts
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Key passes*
Pass accuracy*
Tackles & interceptions*
Total duels won*
Aerial duels won*
As revealed last week, Bremen are yet to decide whether to trigger that clause - believed to be worth around €3m (£2m) - with Schmidt not necessarily a guaranteed starter for the Bundesliga side.
Club director Clemens Fritz did suggest that the German outfit "value Isaac highly for his versatility", ensuring a permanent stay is certainly not off the table, thus allowing Leeds to swiftly cash in on this peripheral, rarely seen talent.
schmidt-leeds-championship
There might remain a desire to move on from the likes of Piroe, Aaronson and other members of Farke's Championship squad, yet moving on those out on loan first and foremost should be the priority.
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