Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Graham Smyth Leeds United’s full retained list is expected later today. Leeds United will say goodbye to a two-time title winner this summer. The Whites are due to publish their retained list by noon on Wednesday along with the rest of the Premier League clubs yet to do so. One of the names it will reveal among the summer exits is that of goalkeeper Illan Meslier. The Frenchman was originally brought to the club on loan from FC Lorient in 2019 and having been drafted into the first team towards the end of his first season during Kiko Casilla’s racism ban, helped Marcelo Bielsa's men to win the Championship. Meslier remained first-choice keeper for the vast majority of Leeds' three seasons in the top flight, until Sam Allardyce dropped him for the final handful of games in what was a doomed attempt to keep the Whites up. Daniel Farke also saw Meslier as his number one for almost two full seasons, but brought Karl Darlow in between the sticks for the promotion run-...

The Leeds United chief is both optimistic and realistic about the near and long term future Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter Paraag Marathe is unquestionably hopeful about the future at Leeds United, yet it is undeniable that the club needs a period of Premier League stability before thinking about loftier heights. The 49ers supremo believes it will take three seasons to fully establish the Whites as a top-flight regular and is keen to not repeat the mistakes of when Leeds were last in the Premier League, amid the drop off after a remarkable first season. Yet Marathe is clear on the potential of United, from the stadium to the academy and beyond. During a chat with reporters on Monday, the chairman portrayed a measured and promising blueprint for what comes next. The Leeds chief was quizzed on the long-term goal for the club, what needs to happen next and his continued involvement with Scottish giants Rangers. Below is the second part of the Q&A transcript, with the ot...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United will be working under new financial rules during this summer's transfer window. Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe says the Premier League's new Squad Cost Ratio will mean less flexibility in short term spending but the club want to add difference makers in the summer transfer window. The Whites secured Premier League status for next season with games to spare and have set their sights on improving Daniel Farke's starting XI. But they will be operating in a slightly different financial world from this summer, with the Profitability and Sustainability Rules [PSR] being replaced by the new Squad Cost Ratio [SCR]. Leeds voted against the new rules because they believe in the short term it means they can spend a little less. But with the Elland Road redevelopment now underway, the expectation is that an expanded stadium will make SCR more beneficial in the future. In the meantime, that means 'strategic' recruitment according to Mar...

Leeds United are delighted to announce captain Ethan Ampadu has signed a new contract with the club, committing his long-term future to the Whites. The 25-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a fresh four-year deal, to keep him at Elland Road until the summer of 2030. The versatile midfielder has been an influential figure in West Yorkshire both on and off the pitch since his arrival from Chelsea ahead of the 2023/24 season, when he was the first signing of the club’s new ownership regime. In his debut campaign, Ampadu featured in every league match for Daniel Farke’s side and was named the club’s Player of the Year. The following summer, Ampadu was handed the captain’s armband and revelled in the role, leading by example to help guide the Whites to a 100-point haul and, crucially, the Championship trophy which he proudly held aloft after the final day victory away at Plymouth Argyle. Last term, Ethan shone on United’s return to the Premier League, making 35 appearances in the he...

The Leeds United captain is staying on at Elland Road in what is a hugely important first summer step Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter Club captain Ethan Ampadu has penned a four-year contract extension at Leeds United, keeping him at the club until 2030. The midfielder arrived from Chelsea for £7m in 2023 and has become an integral part of Daniel Farke's project at Elland Road, with the manager often describing him as his "most important player". His contract was due to expire next summer but by agreeing new terms, Leeds have shut down the danger of rival clubs coming in with offers. A renewal for Ampadu was one of the main objectives for the board this off-season. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, chairman Paraag Marathe shared his delight with getting the deal over the line. He said: "Ethan was so instrumental for a whole year. He's such a captain on and off the pitch. Everything he does is just true leadership. "He is almost like one of u...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe has responded to Daniel Farke's recent comments on ambition and addressed the manager's Elland Road future. With Premier League safety secured, Farke used a pre-game press conference to put on record his feelings about the immediate future. The German said that all the boxes had been ticked on his and 49ers Enterprises' first project and now it was time to sit down and discuss the next steps, but if maintaining the status quo was the goal then he was not the right man for the job. Farke defined ambition as keeping the club's best players and avoiding the mistakes of the summer 2021 transfer window when the team was not sufficiently strengthened. "I'm not bothered by it," said Marathe, speaking to the local press in London. "I love his ambition. I have ambition too, I think it was probably for him - and I'm happy for him - probably a moment to just [let out a ] sigh, it was relaxation f...