Matty Writes Sports

After 2 seasons away, Premier League football is returning to Elland Road, as Leeds United find themselves in the top tier once again, after tasting relegation in 2022/23. After a playoff final loss against Southampton in 23/24, the Lilywhites improved and finished top of the Championship, level on points with Burnley, but clinching the silverware due to their superior goal difference.

Now, Leeds will have to prove that top flight football is where they deserve to be for the foreseeable future. Under the stewardship of Daniel Farke, Leeds look to match the heights they reached in 2020/21, when the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa was a the helm.

Can Leeds stay up and prove their worth in the top division?

Transfers

Leeds have been the middle man of all the three promoted sides so far. They’ve bought more players than Burnley and spent more money than the Clarets, but Sunderland have brought in more new faces and spent more money. This is to be expected; you’d say Leeds had the least to do of the three sides.

The most expensive signing so far for United has been German midfielder Anton Stach, who arrived from TSG Hoffenheim for around £18million. The one time Germany international has been a physical monster for both Hoffenheim and Mainz in the Bundesliga, with his 6’5 frame helping him massively in the middle of the park. Stach is an excellent carrier of the ball, able to transition from defence to attack seamlessly, whilst his defensive play is nothing to scoff at either. He could be the perfect midfield partner for Leeds’ Japanese maestro Ao Tanaka as the club aim to establish themselves in the division.

Another coup for Leeds is the signing of Slovenian defender Jaka Bijol, who arrives from Italian outfit Udinese for around £15million. Bijol is a strong and cobative defender, tallying 63 caps for his nation and featuring at Euro 2024, as the Slovenians were eliminated on penalties to Portugal. Bijol is a strong tackler of the ball who likes to get stuck in, as evidenced by his 12 yellow cards in Serie A last season. Not only this but he is confident with the ball at his feet too, owing to his years as a defensive midfielder before transitioning into defence. Bijol is a standout signing for the Whites, and could create a strong defensive partnership with either Joe Rodon or Pascal Struijk in the heart of defence.

Another key position for Leeds to fill was the man between the sticks. Islan Meslier was a liability in goal for Leeds in the Championship, and was relegated to the bench by journeyman and career backup Karl Darlow. Darlow was solid enough in the Championship, but the club were always likely to bring a new man in, and they have done just that. Lucas Perri, a Brazilian goalkeeper plying his trade for Olympique Lyonnais was the man chosen for the position, and he joins for around £10million. The 27 year old was Lyon’s starting goalkeeper in both the league and European competition helping OL reach the Quarter finals of the Europa League. Now, the 6’5 stopper moves to Yorkshire hoping to emulate his last season at Lyon.

Swedish international Gabriel Gudmundsson moves over from Lille in the French top division, hoping to fill the gap left by the departing Junior Firpo, who reformed himself into a cult hero whilst in the Championship. Gudmundsson is a reliable, hard working full back who will make life hard for opposing right wingers, whilst Sebastiaan Bornauw has been brought in to provide solid defensive cover when needed. The Belgian is strong in the air and could provide Leeds with an excellent threat from set piece situations.

Sean Longstaff makes the jump from Newcastle, with the Geordie man being recruited to provide cover for players such as Stach and Tanaka, whilst Lukas Nmecha looks to plug a hole left by Patrick Bamford in the front line.

In terms of outgoings, the aforementioned Junior Firpo will be a hard player to replace for the Lilywhites. Firpo was excellent for Leeds in their title winning campaign, and his return to former club Real Betis will sting for many a Leeds fan, who will miss his excellent contributions up and down the left flank, whilst Manor Solomon returns to parent club Spurs. Less said on him the better.

Squad Focus

Leeds currently look the strongest of the promoted teams, and, with momentum on their side, they could truly look to push on and do better than anyone would have expected them to do.

Between the sticks, Brazilian keeper Lucas Perri will be the clear cut number 1, after Darlow departed the club and Meslier was awful in the championship/

In defence, Jayden Bogle will look to build upon his solid Championship campaign as he makes the step up to the Premier League, whilst at left back new signing Gabriel Gudmundsson looks to be the nailed on starter at left back, after Junior Firpo departed for Real Betis. Isaac Schmidt looks unlikely to receive heavy gametime meaning central defender Pascal Struijk may be asked to deputise on the left side of defence. In the middle, Jaka Bijol and Joe Rodon seem to be Farke’s preferred choice for the position, with Sebastiaan Bornauw and the aforementioned Struijk able to be strong deputies to the usual starters.

Moving into midfield and captain Ethan Ampadu will have more competiton in the form of Anton Stach. The German seems likely to cement his spot in the starting eleven, leaving star man Ao Tanaka to fight for his spot once again. A midfield base of Ampadu, Stach and Tanaka may be preferred for Farke, or the use of advanced playmakers such as Brendan Aaronson could be preferred.

Out wide, Willy Gnonto seems to be the starting choice for left winger, whereas on the right, questions remain over the Premier League suitability of Largie Ramazani and Daniel James. Leeds may potentially look to sign a new right winger in the window, with Strasbourg’s Dilane Bakwa linked in recent days. Leeds will hope Daniel James’ pace will be able to unlock defences, whilst Gnonto’s small stature and low centre of gravity enable him to carve out chances for himself.

Up top, currently Lukas Nmecha and Joel Piroe are Leeds’ options, which they will certainly want to improve upon. Despite Piroe’s solid goalscoring campaign in the Championship, he is unproven at a Premier League level, and may not have the goalscoring prowess required for Leeds to succeed, and a new man may well be recruited up top.

Potential Targets

Rodrigo Muniz

A man that has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road is Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz, who is currently on the books at Fulham. Muniz appears to be second choice behind Raul Jimenez at Craven Cottage, and a move to prove himself at Elland Road could appeal nicely to Muniz, who turned 24 in May. Muniz bagged 8 league goals for the Cottagers in 31 games, however only 8 of them were starts. Muniz is a strong, physical presence who loves to make himself a nuisance for defenders, with strong hold up play and an excellent goalscoring instinct. Lacking Premier League experience in their front line, Muniz might be just what Leeds need to stay in the division.

Bilal El Khannouss

One of the only bright spots in Leicester’s side last season, Bilal El Khannouss shined on occasions, even as the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League. The Morocco international is an excellent dribbler of the football, able to keep exceptionally close control of the ball even in tight spaces, a quality Leeds seem to lack in attacking midfield at the moment. Additionally, El Khannouss is a gifted passer of the ball, able to split a defence with a single through ball, as well as being a versatile player; El Khannouss operated both as a 10 and a left winger for Leicester last season, and, at only 21 years of age, Leeds my look to bring El Khannouss back to the Premier League in white next season.

Artem Dovbyk

Artem Dovbyk is another player linked with a move to Elland Road. Dovbyk finds himself out of new manager Gianpiero Gasperini’s plans at the Stadio Olimpico, and Leeds could offer the Ukrainian a way out of Italy. Dovbyk is 28, entering the prime of his career and is only one season removed from finishing as the top scorer in La Liga, whilst turning out for Girona. Dovbyk is a complete forward, well rounded and able to score both with his head and his feet. In addition, Dovbyk, standing at 6’3 is a physical player, able to hold the ball up well and bring teammates into play. If the Ukrainian is able to return to the form he had in Spain, he could be an excellent move for Leeds to make.

Michel Ange Balikwisha

Another player who appears to be on Leeds’ radar is Michel-Ange Balikwisha, currently playing for Antwerp of Belgium. Balikwisha is a right footed winger, who operates primarily off of the left flank, able to cut inside and finish strongly on his favoured foot. Balikwisha is a dynamic player, strong on the ball and able to bring a new level of explosiveness to Leeds’ attack with his agility and ability to get onto the end of loose balls. Balikwisha has recorded 22 league goals in 113 appearcnes for Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League, and also recorded a goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2023/24 edition of the Champions League. With his contract soon expiring, Antwerp may be looking to offload Balikwisha, with several clubs, such as Celtic also in the mix.

Arnaud Kalimuendo

The most ambitious name on the list, Arnaud Kalimuendo is fresh off of a 17 goal season for Stade Rennais in Ligue 1, however seems an almost perfect fit for Leeds. Kalimuendo is an excellent plyer, strong off the dribble and agile, able to get in behind defenders and take chances at goal. He is quick and comfortable on the ball, using his excellent footwork to surge forward into dangerous positions, especially starting his run from deep. He often drops into a midfield position to receive the ball before bringing it forward himself, creating chances for both himself and his teammates. Kalimuendo can also operate off of the left, using his pace and flair to create chances for teammates in the middle. Kalimuendo would be an excellent signing, but, with reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Villarreal, both in the Champions League, it could be a tough deal for the Lilywhites to pull off.

Key Player: Ao Tanaka

Ao Tanaka was the best midfielder in the Championship as Leeds earned promotion from the second tier. The Japanese international was signed for only £3million from 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer of 2024. It took a while, but thank to an injury to Ilya Gruev, Tanaka was thrust into the starting eleven. He never lost his spot.

From the moment he entered the starting eleven in an early October game against Norwich, Tanaka’s performances ensured he would remain there for the rest of the season. Across the entire campaign, Tanaka showed off his ridiculous passing range, his ability to dictate play from anywhere being hi standout attribute. His progressive passing stats in the Championship were absurd; he was in the top 2% for completed passes across the campaign, average nearly 2 key passes per game and with a pass success rate of 92%, it’s easy to see why Tanaka was a crucial element of Leeds’ promotion campaign, and why they rely on him so much for the new season.

Alongside new arrival Anton Stach, Tanaka will form an excellent midfield partnership, and his ability to control the game and dictate the play at his own tempo will be vital for Leeds this season.

Potential Lineup and Outlook

Leeds will look to build upon their Championship winning campaign, and many of their players will have to step up if they are to do that. Daniel Farke is no stranger to the Premier League; he was able to get Norwich City promoted to the Premier League twice, and, whilst he was unable to ever keep them up, he had a far smaller budget than what he is working with now. If Farke is to ever keep a team up, it will have to be now.

Farke is likely to stick with his trusted 4231 system in the Premier League, with a double pivot of Stach and Tanaka being crucial for the way he would like his team to play. However, Farke has also seemingly experimented with a 5 back system in Pre-Season, showing we may be in for a surprise with Leeds United this season.

My Prediction: 16th

Leeds go into the campaign with every chance of staying in the division. Their midfield will be crucial to any success the team has; Tanaka, Stach, Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev will all be crucial players as Leeds look to stay up and secure their spot in the Premier League for 2026/27. If their new signings can hit the ground running, Leeds may just stand more than just a fighting chance.