Leeds transfer news: Premier League team shows interest in Gray; Whites announce departure
As the gossip mill slowly comes to life, Football Fan Cast covers the latest reports about potential transfer action at Leeds.
The summer transfer season may have ended, but that only means we’re getting closer to the January transfer window, when the manic merry-go-round will begin again.
Leeds United had a difficult time managing the summer transfer window. At times, it appeared that the Whites’ situation was deteriorating, but numerous last-minute transfers and great work by Daniel Farke left them in a much better position than many imagined.
They’ve settled in after a rocky start to their Championship campaign and are currently in the play-off places.
With the winter transfer window just a few months away, Football FanCast has begun collating the most recent transfer rumours regarding all of the anticipated incomings and outgoings at Elland Road in January.
Who did Leeds sign this summer?
After exiting the Premier League before of the 2023/24 season, it was only logical for the Whites to struggle to retain some of their key assets this summer. The team, on the other hand, may not have expected so many of their new signings to go so swiftly.
Having saying that, Daniel Farke has seen a number of players walk through the door. The Peacocks have even looked to the Premier League for players to boost their chances of returning to the top division right away.
Indeed, Leeds have utilised their links in north London to sign two players on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur, with Joe Rodon and Djed Spence both moving north in recent weeks.
Welsh international Ethan Ampadu also chose to leave London for West Yorkshire earlier this summer, signing to Elland Road in a £7 million move. The 23-year-old has a lot of experience for a player his age, thanks to a season on loan with Sheffield United in the Premier League and two seasons on loan in Serie A, one with Venezia and one with Spezia.
That kind of expertise will be essential to a Leeds team seeking for consistency this season.
This summer, Arsenal young product Glen Kamara joined Farke’s initiative with Bulgarian international Ilia Gruev, who left Werder Bremen after coming through the club’s junior setup.
However, as remarkable as the club’s recruiting has been given the circumstances, new striker Joel Piroe stands out as the most important addition to the squad. For a long time, the Dutch forward has been one of the greatest in the Championship.
In his two seasons at Swansea City, the 24-year-old started 83 league games and scored 41 goals, which works out to roughly one goal every other game – exactly the sort of output Farke will need from his attackers if they are to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Who did Leeds sell this summer?
Leeds experienced an exodus of first-team players following their relegation to the Championship, with everyone looking for a club that could provide them top-flight football this season.
Despite a slew of departures in recent months, the Whites have struggled to generate any cash from their assets.
In truth, Leeds’ sole substantial sale this summer in terms of money has been Tyler Adams’ £20 million move to Bournemouth, which has subsequently accounted for the majority of the club’s income this summer. While the fee is undoubtedly reasonable for a player who has recently been demoted from the Premier League, we’re sure Farke would have like to keep the American since he would have excelled in the Championship.
Unfortunately for the new owners, several of the first-team players signed in the previous two seasons had terms in their contracts that allowed them to depart on loan if the club was relegated, which is exactly what happened.
That said, the one positive in terms of departures is that Wilfried Gnonto has remained at the club despite his move to Everton, which appeared to be on the cards at times this summer, meaning the Fake can at least rely on the talented teenager this year as he looks to guide the club back to the Premier League.
Who could leave Leeds in January?
Archie Gray: According to transfer source Alan Nixon, Crystal Palace is interested in the 17-year-old.
The Eagles have long admired the England youth international, and his rise to the first team at Leeds has them on high alert ahead of the January transfer window.
The box-to-box midfielder has appeared in all ten Championship games so far, starting eight of them.
The Peacocks are currently sixth in the table and are aiming for a rapid return to the Premier League, so they are unlikely to be willing to lose one of their key players ahead of the weekend.
If a sale is authorized, one would assume it will be for a large sum, which may repel any interested parties, such as south London residents.
Helder Costa: While January arrivals at Elland Road have been few, the club confirmed Helder Costa’s departure on Friday afternoon.
In a press release, the Whites said: “LUFC can confirm Helder Costa has left the club by mutual consent, leaving with our thanks, best wishes for the future and knowing he’s always welcome back at Elland Road.”
His four-year contract wasn’t particularly notable, but he did contribute to the club’s Championship promotion-winning season in 2019/20.
Following a decent ten-goal contribution in the league, they were forced to buy him on a permanent contract from Wolves for a substantial £16 million that summer.
After signing on a permanent basis, the Angola international played 22 Premier League games in his first season before being loaned out to Valencia and Al-Ittihad.
In August 2021, he made his last appearance for the club, a 3-0 Carabao Cup triumph over Crewe Alexandra.
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