Transfer Centre

What is Leeds United's top priority for the summer transfer window?

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 13 June 2023

Ahead of the summer transfer window opening on Wednesday, Sports Mole looks at the priority for Leeds United in the transfer market over the next few months.

Radical changes are expected from top to bottom at Leeds, with an agreement already reached over new owners, while a new manager and a busy summer transfer window of incomings and outgoings will also be on the agenda for the incoming 49ers Enterprises.

Sam Allardyce has warned Leeds that they could be in for a challenging Championship campaign, with "a lot of work" required to build a squad capable of competing at the right end of the table next season.

Recruiting a proven goalscorer will be high on the priority list this summer due to the uncertainty surrounding their current attacking options.

Indeed, Patrick Bamford remains injury prone and is not assured of regular minutes, and a Premier League stay for Rodrigo Moreno has been mooted amid reported interest from Aston Villa, while Georginio Rutter is yet to live up to his hefty price tag, although he may have more joy at a lower level next term.

Upgrades throughout the first-team squad are required, particularly in defence, but their transfer business will most likely depend on whether they can keep hold of a number of key players. The likes of Rodrigo, Tyler Adams, Wilfried Gnonto and Robin Koch have all been tipped to potentially depart this summer.

Weston McKennie is set to return to Juventus when his loan deal at Leeds expires, while players including Jack Harrison and Brendan Aaronson appear to be at risk of leaving the club as they allegedly have relegation release clauses in their contracts. Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles, meanwhile, are both out of contract on June 30.

Leeds ultimately require a fresh start across the board and a clear plan for how the club should operate going forward to ensure that they can put the mess they currently find themselves in behind them. It is vital that the club's ownership situation is finalised as soon as possible so that key decisions on management and player recruitment can be made ahead of the new campaign.

Countless mistakes with regards to recruitment have been made in recent years and they cannot continue next season if they are to have any chance of building a squad with the ability to bounce back to the promised land.

With some star names expected to depart, generating funds should not be an issue, but spending that cash wisely is the task for whoever takes the reins both at the top of the club and in the dugout.