Leeds transfer news: Premier League club interested in Gray; Whites announce exit
Football FanCast covers the latest reports around prospective transfer movement at Leeds, as the rumour mill slowly returns to life.
The summer transfer window may have just closed, but that only means we’re getting closer to the January transfer window, when the insane merry-go-round begins once more.
The summer transfer window was a difficult period for Leeds United to manage. At times, the situation appeared to be getting worse, but several last-minute transactions and outstanding work by Daniel Farke put the Whites in a much better position than many expected.
After a stuttering start to their Championship campaign, they’ve begun to settle in and are currently in the play-off places.
With the winter transfer window only a few months away, Football FanCast has begun compiling the most recent transfer speculations concerning all of the likely 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 presently sit sixth and have an immediate return to the Premier League on their agenda, so it is unlikely that they’d be prepared to lose one of their key players ahead of the weekend.
If a sale is approved, one would presume it will be for a considerable amount, which may deter any interested parties, such as the residents of south London.
Helder Costa: Rumours of January arrivals at Elland Road have been scarce so far, but the club revealed Helder Costa’s departure on Friday afternoon.
In a statement, 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 stint wasn’t particularly memorable, however he did play a role in the club’s Championship promotion-winning season in 2019/20.
After a respectable ten league goal contribution, they were compelled to sign him on a permanent deal from Wolves for a sizable £16 million that summer.
The Angola international made 22 Premier League matches in his first season after signing on a permanent basis before being loaned out to Valencia and Al-Ittihad.
His last appearance for the club was in a 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Crewe Alexandra in August 2021.
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