Leeds United pursuing deals for two more players as board acknowledge transfer failings - YEP 11/6/22

The Leeds United hierarchy are acutely aware of the changes which need to be made to the first-team squad during this summer's transfer window

By Joe Donnohue

Leeds United's summer transfer business is far from complete following the additions of Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen.

The Whites are under no illusions that in order to avoid last season's scrape with relegation, the first-team squad needs supplemented with strong, high-quality additions.

Aaronson and Kristensen have arrived from head coach Jesse Marsch's former club FC Red Bull Salzburg, signing long-term contracts at Elland Road separated by a matter of weeks.

The speed at which United have signed off on these deals indicates director of football Victor Orta is wasting little time in acquiring the club's primary targets.

It appears as though the Salzburg duo have been lured to Elland Road with a view to further implementing Marsch's preferred style of play, owing to their familiarity with the American's system during their time in Austria together.

Further additions do seem to be on the horizon, though, whether they be from within Red Bull's sphere of influence or elsewhere.

Spanish midfielder Marc Roca is the latest to be credibly linked with a switch to Leeds.

Currently with German giants Bayern Munich, Roca has found game-time hard to come by in the Bundesliga and as a result is believed to be open to a transfer out of Bavaria.

Roca excelled with Espanyol prior to his 2020 move, but questions over his physicality and dynamism, attributes required to play Marsch's brand of football, have been echoed by LaLiga and Bundesliga experts alike.

Instead of gentle evolution and squad churn, this summer's transfer activity is set to resemble more of a rebuild than regeneration due to Leeds' hesitancy in the three previous windows.

Leeds' business last summer was intentionally sparse, adding Norway U21 international Kristoffer Klaesson, ex-Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo and securing Jack Harrison on a permanent deal.

Then, in the midst of a crippling injury crisis midway through last term, Leeds opted against bolstering Marcelo Bielsa's squad despite the numerous key first-team players congesting the treatment room.

With the benefit of hindsight, failing to capitalise on the club's 2020/21 ninth place finish in the transfer windows that followed, looks to have been a misstep by the United board.

Nevertheless, the speed at which business has been conducted this time around signals an acknowledgement from the very top that lessons have been learned.

Leeds are still actively pursuing midfield reinforcements; Brenden Aaronson became the first senior midfielder to join the club in a permanent switch since Adam Forshaw.

In addition, United are in the market for a centre-forward, however the identity of Orta's preferred targets remain under wraps.

Reports linking Valentin Castellanos of New York City FC are thought to be wide of the mark, while former loanee Eddie Nketiah looks set to sign a new contract with Arsenal, despite having been tentatively sounded out towards the end of the season.

The profile of striker Leeds are pursuing is perhaps a little more clear-cut: more experienced than current understudy Joe Gelhardt, but sharing more stylistic similarities with No. 9 Patrick Bamford.

Gelhardt is expected to reprise his role as an impact player and occasional starter within the first-team group next season, while Bamford is set for a return to regular action with his injury woes now firmly behind him.

An additional striker who can deputise for either attacker in Marsch's 4-2-2-2 formation would ensure the workload undertaken by Gelhardt and Bamford does not exceed recommendations made by physios and the strength and conditioning team.

Gelhardt suffered a handful of small knocks which kept him out of Under-23 and senior action throughout last season, while Bamford's well-documented absences mean a 38-game campaign in 2022/23 may not only prove unwise but unlikely.

Supplementary additions may prove to be finances-dependent, relating to the rumoured sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips.

Both will need to be replaced if Leeds accept offers for the influential duo, however their departure is far from a foregone conclusion. Barcelona's interest in Raphinha is concrete but if they cannot raise funds to meet United's asking price there will be no deal.

Equally, Leeds will attempt to retain Phillips with the offer of an extended and vastly improved contract, in a bid to fend of reported interest from the likes of Manchester City.

In all, the Whites' transfer activity is far from over and with just under three months until the window closes, it is shaping up to be a busy summer at Elland Road with further additions expected and outgoings all but guaranteed.