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Leeds United could be set for a busy summer if they secure another season of Premier League football
Leeds United took a huge step towards Premier League survival earlier this week, as they ended a 45-year wait for a win at Old Trafford by defeating Man United 2-1. A first half brace from Noah Okafor stunned the hosts, leaving them reeling. The Whites stood tall and managed to hang on for a famous points against their bitter rivals.
As things stand, Daniel Farke’s side are a healthy six points clear of the relegation zone, and also have a slim goal difference advantage over 18th place Tottenham. With a home clash against bottom of the table Wolves next up, Leeds have the perfect opportunity to rack up another three points, as they head into their final six matches of the season.
Given the relatively pleasant run-in the Whites have in comparison to their relegation rivals, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see them dropping back down to the Championship this season.
Leeds United predicted summer transfer window - new signings
Max Johnston - £15m from Derby County: The Whites got things up and running with a move for the Scotland international, who plays at right-back. He’s had an eclectic career so far, going from Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership to Sturm Graz in Austria, before sealing a move to the Rams last summer.
Alex Paulsen - £3m from Bournemouth: Next up, Leeds raided their Premier League rivals for a new goalkeeper. Fresh from loan spells with Auckland FC and Lechia Gdansk, the New Zealander did enough to convince the Whites’ scouts that he was worth snapping up on a low cost deal.
Leke Drake - £375k from Man City: A bit of a bargain was struck, as the highly-rated teenage defender was recruited for a paltry fee. He’s been excelling at youth level for the Citizens of late, and could be a real breakthrough prospect for Leeds. Given the fee, it was a low cost gamble well worth taking.
Andrei Cordea - £10m from FC Cluj: The recruitment team at Leeds were getting bang for their buck with their Wyscout account, that’s for sure. A really obscure deal saw the right-footed left-winger brought in from the Romanian giants. His career hasn’t quite taken off yet, but perhaps a bold move to Elland Road could be the making of him.
Wuilker Farinez - £475k from Internacional de Bogota: Why buy one goalkeeper when you could sign two? The 28-year-old is relatively diminutive for a shot-stopper, not even reaching six foot, but he’s still a decent pair of hands between the sticks. A real left field signing, sure, but it’s worth noting that he’s got 42 senior caps for Venezuela.
Carlos Dominguez - £32m from Celta Vigo: Oh yes, now we’re talking. It was big money dropped by Leeds, but unusually spent on a player who’s barely featured for his side this season. Celta Vigo have been flying in La Liga, but centre-back Dominguez has only made eight appearances. He’s a 25-year-old Spaniard who’s yet to be capped by his country.
Boubakary Soumare - £8m from Al-Duhail: The defensive midfielder’s stint in Qatar only lasted half a season, before Leeds swooped in to sign the ex-Leicester City and Lille man. Tipped for great things in his youth, Soumare will be looking to reignite his career in the Premier League under Farke.
Martim Fernandes - loan from FC Porto: A lovely bit of business to round things off, as the Whites agreed a loan with an obligation to buy for the talented young Portuguese full-back. The 20-year-old is renowned for his impressive technical ability, dribbling prowess and ability to deliver a killer ball into the box - Dominic Calvert-Lewin, be on your toes.
Leeds United predicted summer transfer window - players sold
Ethan Ampadu - £20m to Atalanta: What a bizarre way to kick things off. Yes, Leeds decided to sell their skipper for a mere £20m, sending him off to Serie A. Maybe there was a big bust up over the summer? Who knows. Ampadu returned to Italy for the second time in his career, having previously had stints with both Venezia and Spezia.
James Justin - £17m to Crystal Palace: After Fernandes and Johnson’s arrival, things were getting rather crowded in the right-back department. Justin was the one to make way, ending a brief, one-season spell at Elland Road. Crystal Palace became the fourth club of the one-cap England international’s career, having also previously played for Luton and Leicester.
Lucas Perri - £16m to Celta Vigo: More unusual business from Leeds, here, as the hero of their FA Cup quarter-final penalty shootout with West Ham was also booted out the door, less than a year into contract. Clearly Farke expected big things from his new Venezuelan and New Zealander goalkeepers.
Joel Piroe - £1m to QPR: It’s fair to say the Dutch forward hasn’t quite managed to bring the Championship scoring form that had Fantasy Premier League managers salivating to the top tier this season, but £1m is a bit of a joke, given that Leeds spent £10m on him back in 2023.
Luka Nmecha - £6.5m to U.S. Lecce: Again, Leeds’ transfer policy was bordering on philanthropic, with another bargain deal merrily dished out to a club on the Continent Given the distinctly underwhelming selection of new arrivals, there’s no way this window can be seen anything other than an abject failure. Thank goodness it’s all just a simulation.
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