Leeds come into the summer transfer window on a high. The Whites didn't just beat the drop, but they beat the drop in pretty emphatic fashion in the end.
Despite being defeated 3-0 by West Ham on Sunday, Daniel Farke's men were never really in danger of going down and that is a testament to the German's turnaround midway through the season.
Farke looked like he may well get the sack but he defied the doubters, hit back at his critics and kept the Elland Road side in the division.
daniel-farke-leeds-premier-league
They now have a mighty fine springboard heading into next season and could well usurp Marcelo Bielsa's legacy by taking them to a top half finish. It's certainly possible; just look at Sunderland. They have acheived European football for the first time in 50 years.
How this transfer window plays out will be interesting but this squad cannot get any worse. There are not really any fears of top players leaving so in theory, the starting XI should get even better.
Leeds could sign Premier League winger in big money deal
One of the priorities for Leeds this summer would appear to be bolstering their forward line. In no area of the pitch were Farke's side really exposed in 2025/26, meaning they should be able to build on things nicely.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin stands proud as one of the club's best additions in recent years. Signed on a free transfer, he scored 14 times in 35 Premier League matches.
Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrates scoring their second goal
In attack next term, he could be joined by a whole host of fresh faces. Chelsea's Liam Delap, Burnley's Zion Flemming and Juventus' Lois Openda have all been the subject of interest from Leeds.
With Joel Piroe seemingly on his way out of the club, signing someone like Delap does make sense.
Leeds top scorers in the Premier League - 2025/26
Player
1. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
2. Noah Okafor
3. Lukas Nmecha
4. Anton Stach
5. Brenden Aaronson
6. Justin, Rodon, Longstaff, Tanaka
In a similar sort of rescue act from a big six club, Leeds could also sign Liverpool's Harvey Elliott. Reports earlier this week suggested that the Reds attacker was keen on a move to Elland Road and they have now discovered how much it may well take to prise him away from Merseyside.
Sports Boom report that amid interest from Leeds, Sunderland, Coventry City and Ipswich Town, Liverpool have placed a £30m asking price on his head.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
The Yorkshire side appear to be one of the favourites for his signature right now with it reported they are 'ready to take necessary steps' to sign the player.
Why Elliott could be Leeds' next Openda
While Calvert-Lewin has turned out to be the biggest success story from last summer's recruitment drive, Noah Okafor would appear to have the highest ceiling of any player at Leeds.
After all, there was a reason he was plying his trade for AC Milan before trading Italy for England in an £18m deal.
Okafor
Truth be told, Okafor's first campaign in the Premier League has not been all plain sailing. While he bagged twice inside his opening five league matches, the Swiss winger then did not find the net in the subsequent 16 games.
However, he exploded into life at the back end of the campaign with the 26-year-old scoring six goals in his last seven appearances either side of an injury.
A year on from his initial arrival, Leeds could repeat a similar trick to bring Elliott to Yorkshire. How? Well, like Okafor, he's someone who struggled at a big club to really make a strong impression. He's someone that like Okafor, could become a huge threat if given a significant run of starts and minutes.
That's something that Elliott has simply not had since trading Fulham for Liverpool at the age of just 16 in 2021. Since then, he has started just 67 games. On that evidence, and the evidence of this season, this signing is a gamble.
Harvey-Elliott
That is certainly true. Because of a clause in his loan move to Aston Villa, he only played nine games in 2025/26. The Villans would have been obliged to pay a £35m fee to Liveprool if he played ten times.
He only scored once during his stint at Villa Park but there is a player in there. He was once described as "the best teenager in the world" by ex-goalkeeper Paul Robinson and named alongside some Liverpool legends by Jamie Carragher.
The outspoken pundit said in 2022: "You think of how young he is and you think of the players we have had at that age that were really special: Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Raheem Sterling, you’ve seen Trent come through at that age. Sometimes you see someone that’s just special."
Well, it's safe to say that Elliott's stock has fallen a great deal since then. Now aged 23, he does have a Champions League goal against PSG to shout about in the last two seasons but everything that could go wrong for him has gone wrong over the last year.
Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates
Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates
That said, in an environment where he can become a key player, someone who is given regular minutes, there is so much potential to extract here.
For context, during Okafor's final season at Milan he only played in 15 matches, starting five times in Serie A. Like Elliott, he only scored once all season.
Leeds took a gamble on the winger's potential and have struck gold. They should do the same on the Liverpool outcast now.
mateusz-klich-leeds-championship Related
[The next Klich: Leeds in ongoing talks to sign "incredible" new midfielder](https://www.footballfancast.com/the-next-klich-leeds-in-ongoing-talks-to-sign-jovan-lukic/ "The next Klich: Leeds in ongoing talks to sign "incredible" new midfielder")
Leeds United are progressing a deal to sign a new midfielder for Daniel Farke this summer.