Mighty Leeds Weblog

All Katniss aren't we? Written by: Luke Brennan I don’t tend to watch films. It’s not because I’m a socialite, too hung up on seeing the world and being the light in everyone’s life. It’s not because I’m chained to my desk, exasperated over writing one too many blogs. I’m not quite Michael Owen — I have seen some films — I just don’t tend to watch many. But last week I sat down to watch The Hunger Games. If you don’t know, it’s a metaphor for socio-economic injustice and the treatment of soldiers in America. It’s aimed at teenagers, and involves the Big Bad sending a group of 24 young ‘uns into an arena to kill each other. About two hours into the film, the main character and eventual winner of the competition, Katniss Everdeen, forms an alliance with a younger girl named Rue. Rue dies, of course, wrenching the hearts of the nation and making everybody very sad. Katniss decides to show the oppressive system that she isn’t a heartless pawn in their game and buries little Rue i...

Leeds United have been proactive but more market movement will be seen after the end of this week Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter Today marks a month since the Premier League summer transfer window opened and Leeds United have been active. The bulk of dealings is expected to be truncated into the next six weeks and indeed the market as whole is set to accelerate after the World Cup final on Sunday. Yet Leeds have not been waiting around for the game of Tetris to be ignited by others. Given last summer's near-capture of Harry Wilson, where papers were signed and a deal sheet was readied before Fulham pulled out at the eleventh hour, United will have been confident of landing the attacker this year. His free arrival has widely been seen as a coup for Leeds, some even left astonished. He remains the only new arrival so far, though Leeds are seen as frontrunners in the race for Shea Charles. This documented chase has started to bore some supporters, but this is somethin...

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic. The YEP understands a preliminary deal for a fee in the region of €40million (£34.1m) has been agreed. Player terms are still to be finalised but Leeds have taken a big step towards quickly filling a major gap in the starting-XI. Leeds sold Pascal Struijk to Brighton and Hove Albion in a deal worth £20m late last month, with the Dutchman into the final year of his contract. A new deal was on the table but effectively rejected, with the centre-back keen to explore a fresh challenge. That left Farke without a left-footed centre-back and Muharemovic was identified as a person of interest this month. The 23-year-old had been at the World Cup with Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were knocked out in the last-32 by the USA. Premier League rivals Sunderland and Bournemouth were also believed to be interested in Muharemovic. But Leeds are in pole position following...

By Graham Smyth Karl Darlow has issued a messaged to Leeds United after his move to Manchester United to take up a ‘special opportunity’ was confirmed. The goalkeeper turned down the chance to remain at Elland Road, where a new deal was on the table. Leeds could not offer a guaranteed starting place for the 35-year-old due to their plans to bring in a keeper in the summer transfer window, and Darlow opted to move to their bitter rivals Manchester United. He took to Instagram to pen a farewell message, set to Olivia Dean’s Ok Love You Bye, after helping obtain and then secure Premier League status. “To Leeds United,” he began. “What a special chapter this has been. Helping this club achieve promotion back to the Premier League is something I’ll always be proud of, and to know the club will be staying where it belongs makes it even more rewarding. To my teammates, coaches, staff and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for making my time here so memorable. I leave with amazing mem...

By Stuart Rayner Leeds United have confirmed Karl Darlow will not be returning next season, leaving them with a decision to make on whether to look for an entirely new goalkeeping department. Once Darlow allowed his contract to expire at the end of last month, it became pretty clear he would not be returning to Elland Road, and that has now been confirmed. The 35-year-old has joined Manchester United. Darlow emerged as the Whites' first-choice goalkeeper last season, but it was expected he would have another fight on his hands to hold that status in 2026-27, with a new No 1 high on their shopping list. Leeds released third-choice Illan Meslier, who has joined Arsenal. Like Darlow, he can expect to watch a lot of football from the bench with occasional opportunities in cup competitions, but the Frenchman did not feature at all for Leeds last season, and was only on the bench five times. Now they face a decision over Lucas Perri, who they paid £15.6m for last summer with th...

Ken Bates is credited as the man who saved Chelsea from extinction back in 1982 and owned the Premier League club for 21 years before going on to purchase Leeds United Nathan Ridley Senior Sports Reporter Ken Bates, the former owner of Chelsea and Leeds United, has died at the age of 94. Chelsea confirmed his death on Saturday, adding that Bates 'passed away peacefully in Monaco this morning surrounded by his wife and family'. In a statement, the Premier League club said: "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the loss of Ken Bates, former owner and chairman of Chelsea Football Club. "The club sends our heartfelt condolences to Ken's wife Suzannah, the rest of his family and his friends. Ken's determination to fight for Chelsea when times were tough, and drive the team on to winning trophies will never be forgotten." After purchasing Chelsea for £1 in 1982, Bates is credited as the man who saved them from going out of business. Afte...

Goalkeeper extends his stay with the Club. Leeds United are pleased to announce goalkeeper Alex Cairns has signed a new contract with the club, extending his time at Elland Road until 2028. The 33-year-old has penned a two-year deal which will see him continue his longstanding association with the Whites and remain an experienced part of the first-team squad. Having played through the age groups in the Academy, the Yorkshire-born goalkeeper made his debut for Leeds in the 2011/12 campaign, before leaving to continue his career elsewhere in 2015 after a number of productive loans. The stopper returned to the club from Salford City in the summer of 2024, rejoining the Whites after playing every single league fixture for the Ammies in the previous season. Cairns’ wealth of experience will carry on benefitting Daniel Farke’s squad, having amassed over 300 career matches and continuing to be an ever-present on a matchday with the first team squad. Alex is also a valued member of...

Always liked him! Written by: Chris McMenamy Leeds United’s first signing of the 2026/27 season is a lesson in patience — and history. A Wales international winger who almost signed previously, only for the selling club to change their mind. No, it’s not Dan James (again). Welcome, Harry Wilson! Career so far This time last year the suggestion that Leeds wanted to sign Wilson was met with a sense of indifference. He was a Premier League winger at Fulham, a decent player coming off a season in which he had broken his foot and been limited to a thousand league minutes. At 28, there wasn’t all that much to get excited about other than his ability to take set-pieces. Leeds considered him to be one of the attackers that Daniel Farke publicly declared his team needed at the start of last season. Deadline Day 2025 involved reports of Leeds engaging in talks and placing a bid. There was even a private flight scheduled to land at Leeds Bradford from Cardiff, where Wilson was training ...

By Tom Coates Karl Darlow has reportedly agreed personal terms with Manchester United following the expiry of his Leeds United contract. The 35-year-old ended the 2025/26 campaign as the main man between the sticks at Elland Road having dislodged Lucas Perri. He impressed in Leeds’ successful battle against relegation, helping to keep the Whites afloat with assured displays. His contract expired at the end of last month and reports indicated he had received offers from Manchester United and Everton. Karl Darlow nears Leeds United exit He looks to have chosen to sign for the former, as Sky Sports have claimed Darlow is on the verge of completing a move to Old Trafford. Both Darlow and midfielder Andrey Santos are said to have passed medicals, with both reportedly due at Carrington today (July 10) to pen deals they have agreed. Darlow will become the second senior goalkeeper to leave Leeds if he does indeed depart, following Illan Meslier’s free transfer switch to Arsenal...

By Kyle Newbould Illan Meslier is entering a new phase of his career with ‘anger and determination’ following a year on the sidelines at Leeds United. Meslier’s move to Arsenal was officially announced on Thursday with the 26-year-old a free agent after leaving Leeds. He called time on a seven-year spell in West Yorkshire, much of which was spent as No.1 until he was dropped for Karl Darlow during the 2024/25 Championship promotion run-in. Darlow remained ahead of Meslier last season and following the £16million arrival of Lucas Perri from Olympique Lyonnais, the Frenchman became third-choice. He didn’t play a single first-team match with only a handful of appearances coming with the Under-21s. “I’m extremely, extremely happy,” Meslier said upon signing for Arsenal. “It's a great day for me because I’ve just joined the champions. It's the biggest club here in England, so I'm very happy to join this massive club, and it’s also a massive opportunity for me. I'm ex...

Forward signs four-year deal. Leeds United are delighted to announce the signing of exciting forward Harry Wilson, who joins the club following the expiry of his contract at fellow Premier League side Fulham. Arriving at Elland Road on a four-year-deal, Wilson becomes our first signing of the summer transfer window, having chosen to join the Whites over several offers from elsewhere. Wilson is an experienced top-flight and international attacker, who can operate anywhere across the forward areas, showing versatility and quality in the final third of the pitch. Starting his career with Liverpool, the now 29-year-old would go on to play twice for the first team at Anfield. It was away from Merseyside whilst on loan where he shone, with a short-term switch to Hull City allowing the winger to flourish by scoring seven goals in 13 appearances in East Yorkshire. Individual accolades followed from Wilson’s time with the Tigers, as the club’s Player of the Month Award for March was a...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United have confirmed their first summer 2026 signing after he put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Elland Road. Harry Wilson almost became a Leeds player last summer in the 24 hours prior to transfer deadline day, before Fulham's change of heart saw him stay put at Craven Cottage. But the Whites have got the 29-year-old at the second time of asking after his contract ran out at Fulham. The free agent turned down a number of other offers to join several of his Wales international team-mates at Leeds. A club statement said: "Leeds United are delighted to announce the signing of exciting forward Harry Wilson, who joins the club following the expiry of his contract at fellow Premier League side Fulham. Arriving at Elland Road on a four-year-deal, Wilson becomes our first signing of the summer transfer window, having chosen to join the Whites over several offers from elsewhere. Wilson is an experienced top-flight and international attacker, who can o...

By Tom Coates Leeds United announce Elland Road parking changes Leeds United have announced major changes to the parking set-up around Elland Road Leeds United have announced major changes to the parking set-up around Elland Road as they prepare to welcome fans back for games. The Premier League club’s iconic stadium is undergoing redevelopment work, with changes to the West Stand in the process of being made. Leeds have obligations relating to traffic management and must look to try and reduce the entry times into car parks around the vicinity of the ground. Leeds United confirm parking changes In order to do so, the club will manage and operate council car parks on home matchdays. The process will be digitised and as a result, all car park bookings must be made in advance. Spaces will be sold via the club’s online ticketing platform and these arrangements will be in place for the upcoming pre-season friendly matches. Leeds have also confirmed the Fullerton Car Park wi...

By Kyle Newbould The goalkeeper officially became a free agent following the expiration of his Leeds United contract this summer. Former Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier is set to join Arsenal as a free agent. Meslier officially left Elland Road following the expiration of his contract this summer. Leeds announced the news ahead of publishing their retained list last month with the Frenchman spending last season as third-choice goalkeeper. Having been replaced by Karl Darlow for the 2024/25 campaign’s Championship promotion run-in, Meslier fell further down the pecking order following Lucas Perri’s arrival from Olympique Lyonnais. The 26-year-old did not play a single competitive game last season, featuring a handful of times for the Under-21s. BBC Sport reported earlier this summer that Arsenal held an interest in Meslier amid his newfound free agent status. Mikel Arteta’s side are in the market for goalkeeper depth behind clear first-choice David Raya and current back-...

The 17-year-old will spend the entirety of the 2026/27 season in League One James Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc Harry Gray has labelled his switch to Sheffield Wednesday as "perfect" after seeing his season-long loan deal from Leeds United to the Owls confirmed. The 17-year-old will spend the entirety of the 2026/27 season in League One at the Owls, who under new ownership are looking to bounce straight back to the Championship. Wednesday have big hopes of promotion under manager Henrik Pedersen, and it's a confidence boost for Gray that he's being asked to come in and play his part next season on loan. Having enjoyed his time at Rotherham United in the second half of last season, Gray will relish an opportunity to try help a side with ambitions for going up, after a fight against relegation from League One last season. That ambition convinced Leeds and Gray that a switch to Hillsborough was the best option as a host o...

Striker makes Owls switch. Leeds United can confirm Harry Gray has joined Sky Bet League One side Sheffield Wednesday on a season-long loan. After the 17-year-old excelled at the start of the 2025/26 season for Scott Gardner’s Under-21s by netting 11 goals in 14 appearances, including strikes in the EFL Trophy, a very productive loan to third-tier Rotherham United followed to give Gray important senior experience in the game. With the Millers, the forward made 20 appearances and grabbed three goals in a side battling to avoid the drop, showing his versatility when tasked with leading the line or being deployed on the flanks. Harry has also followed a long line of Grays at Leeds United in making his first team debut for the club, which came at the age of 16 against Stoke City in the 2024/25 campaign on the day we secured promotion back to the top-flight. Capped by England at Under-17 level, Gray now returns to South Yorkshire to link up with an Owls side keen on bouncing back ...

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United will hope for an upgrade in their attacking output from right-wing following the arrival of Harry Wilson. Confirmation of Wilson’s move to Elland Road is imminent after a deal was agreed to sign the free agent following his Fulham exit. Leeds expected competition for the 29-year-old following a best-ever season at Craven Cottage but came out on top to land a player they’ve wanted since at least last summer. Leeds’ failed deadline-day move for Wilson left them short of difference-making quality in the right-wing/No.10 position, and Facundo Buonanotte’s January loan arrival proved ineffective. For the most part, that area of the pitch was occupied by Brenden Aaronson. Aaronson enjoyed one of his more productive campaigns for Leeds last season, his nine direct contributions - four goals and five assists - level with Noah Okafor and second only to top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin. But while a solid tally, it falls some way short of Wilson’s 10 goals an...

Clubs are circling the Japan international with movement expected James Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc Leeds United-linked goalkeeper Zion Suzuki is now attracting serious interest from the Premier League, with increased competition for his signature likely to see Parma's asking price met. The Italian side paid just over £8m for the Japanese international two years ago, but they know they can make a significant profit after his stock rose during the World Cup. The 23-year-old put a broken hand and an injury-hit season behind him to emerge with a real buzz around his performances. Aston Villa have been linked with interest before the World Cup started, with Leeds soon added to that list with reports suggesting they could add the Japanese star alongside his countryman Ao Tanaka. Now Gazzetta dello Sport say 'several Premier League sides' are showing an interest in the goalkeeper, who is being valued at £26m by his club. Leeds...

By Kyle Newbould Returning Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt’s future could be complicated by an Elland Road pay-rise, according to reports. Gelhardt spent the last 18 months at Hull City over two separate loan spells, initially joining for the second half of the 2024/25 season before a year-long move for 2025/26. That campaign saw the 24-year-old register an impressive 15 goals and four assists as part of a memorable campaign at the MKM Stadium. Hull finished sixth in the Championship, sneaking into the play-offs before managing to win it with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Wembley. Gelhardt made clear throughout the 2025/26 season he’d be open to a permanent move and that is unlikely to have changed following promotion. Indeed, Hull Live report that interest in a longer-term commitment remains on both sides, with Gelhardt keen to sign and the Tigers keen to welcome him back. But it’s far from a foregone conclusion, with a permanent transfer this summer labelled a ‘distinc...

Walking the plank Written by: Rob Conlon We’ve had a long time to prepare for Pascal Struijk leaving Leeds United. Speaking to ESPN Netherlands in January, Struijk revealed he “had some options to leave” last summer and, “from my side, there was something I would have liked to do — but that didn’t happen.” Later, when Leeds’ safety was secured, The Athletic reported that Leeds received an offer for Struijk last August they would have been tempted to accept had it not been so close to the end of the transfer window and left them scrambling around for a replacement. So perhaps Struijk’s exit has been pencilled into the accounting books ever since. Had both the player and the club had their heads turned and eyes opened at the sums available? Leeds’ statement on the official website confirming his move to Brighton contradicts itself. On one hand, the club wanted him to stay and offered him ‘a significantly improved contract’. On the other, Paraag Marathe has warned us there were goin...

By Kyle Newbould Pascal Struijk’s decision to join Brighton was impacted by talks with former Leeds United teammate Georginio Rutter. Struijk signed a five-year deal at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday following the agreement of a £20million deal with Leeds. Elland Road chiefs will receive an initial £18m, with another £2m of potential add-ons and the insertion of a sell-on clause. His sale before the June 30 accounting deadline helped keep the Whites from breaching Profitability and Sustainability Rules. Fresh contract terms were on the table for Struijk, whose previous Leeds deal expired in 2027, but his decision was to seek a new challenge elsewhere. At Brighton, he will reunite with Rutter, the pair spending 18 months together at Elland Road before the attacking midfielder’s £40m move to the south coast in 2024. "Of course, I know Georgie," Struijk told Sussex World. "I've seen some stuff about the group and Georgie has told me a lot of stories, which I'm ...

Struijk leaves Elland Road after eight years James Smailes Head of All Out Rugby League and Yorkshire sport at Reach plc Pascal Struijk's eight-year tenure at Leeds United has officially ended with the defender completing a move to fellow Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion. Out of contract next summer, Struijk turned down a new offer this summer from Leeds and instructed the club of his decision to fly the nest having arrived at Elland Road as an 18-year-old in 2018. Due to his great service and the manner of how the negotiations have gone, Leeds have worked with the Dutchman to facilitate an exit this summer, with the Whites selling Struijk to Brighton for an undisclosed fee. Leeds Live understands the Whites will receive £18m up front, with add-ons potentially lifting the deal to £20m, while a sell-on clause has been added to the contract. It's also been confirmed Leeds needed to complete the deal before the end of June to ensure the club complied with this ...

Leeds United are seemingly on the verge of agreeing a deal that would see a key member of their squad leave Elland Road this summer Mark Wakefield Sport Central Audience Writer Leeds United are reportedly close to confirming the departure of defender Pascal Struijk with a deal agreed with Premier League rivals Brighton. United are gearing up for another busy summer of transfer business as they look ahead to the new campaign, which gets underway in August. Daniel Farke and Co. will already have an eye on their plans for the summer transfer window, but Leeds now look set to lose one of their key players. The Athletic have reported that Leeds have reached a verbal agreement with Brighton that would see Struijk swap Elland Road for the Amex Stadium. It has been reported that United have agreed a fee worth £20million for Struijk to leave Leeds this summer and join Brighton, who will be competing in the UEFA Conference League next season. The report goes on to claim that, with ...

Mark Whiley Sports Reporter Marcelo Bielsa lost his cool in a post-match interview after brutally hooking off a Uruguay legend during the country's humiliating World Cup exit. After draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, Uruguay needed to at least avoid defeat against Spain to have a chance of going through to the knockout stage. A desperate tournament for the South Americans went from bad to worse in the 42nd minute when a tame effort from Alex Baena slipped through the grasp of iconic keeper Fernando Muslera, the 40-year-old who came out of retirement ahead of the tournament at Bielsa's request. However, Muslera probably wishes he hadn't answered the former Leeds United manager's plea as he faced the ignominy of being taken off at half-time. Bielsa also took off Federico Valverde in the second half and Uruguay couldn't find a leveller as they limped out of the tournament with just two points. After the match, as he waited to conduct his post-match inter...