The window is closing very soon on Leeds United’s chances to strengthen their squad. With the Premier League returning in just under a fortnight away, the Whites are rushing to close talent acquisitions.
Rumour has it that they are trying to sign up AC Milan’s forward Rafael Leao and Valencia’s Rodrigo before the league kicks off. Leeds’ Premier League campaign will kick off on September 12th against champions Liverpool.
Signing the right players is crucial for Leeds, especially since the team was just promoted to the Premier League. The Whites earned their way back to the top flight after spending the last two seasons towards the top of the Championship.
Will Leeds United Stay Up in the Premier League?
New Sign-Ups Important to Leeds’ Performance This Season
If you are a fan of Leeds, you will be interested to find out their fixtures in other leagues. The club also competes in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. Coach Marcelo Bielsa, responsible for turning Leeds into league champions, needs the two aforementioned players to reinforce his squad.
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Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani is said to be personally spearheading efforts to sign up two players at the cost of about £50 million. His efforts are justified and show just how important it is that the team closes the deals on the table. A lot is riding on these acquisitions.
Radrizzani Confident in His Present Line-Up
This year is the first time that Leeds are playing in the Premier League since they were relegated back in 2004. They need all the best talents to make a name early in the league.
Leeds have already closed other permanent acquisition deals for the season. They already have Illan Meslier and Helder Costa on board. Meslier is Leeds’ newest keeper after he signed a three-year contract with the club. He had been on board temporarily on loan. Costa, who has been on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers since last summer, also signed up on a permanent transfer to the Whites.
Jack Harrison, a loanee from Manchester City, has also signed a deal to extend his stay at the club for another year.
Getting Back in the Premier League
As the team gets back on the horse, they are not keen to bring in any new stars to upset their team spirit. If you were to wager on a team upsetting the league tables at the end of the season, Leeds would be it.
Leeds will have a tough time staying on top of the Premier League table, considering the competition. In their 97-year history, the club has won only three league titles – in the 1968/69, 1973/74, and 1991/92 seasons. They are proud, though, to have reached the European Cup finals in the 1974/75 and 200/21 seasons.
The English club suffered a major blow in 2004 when they were relegated from the Premier League. In 2007, they were again demoted to League One and deducted ten points.
Is the sleeping giant ready to get back to the hunt? We will know for sure soon enough as the league kicks off this September.
Leeds United’s Premier League Fixtures
The latest five-week fixture maps out the path Leeds United have to take. Unfortunately, their first challenger on return is Liverpool at Anfield. They will also fight it out with Fulham, Sheffield United, Manchester City, and Wolves in their first five encounters.
These first five matches should be enough for a fan to determine whether Leeds have what it takes to stay in the league after such a 16-year absence. If their performances in the last season’s matches are anything to go by, the Whites may just surprise everybody.
They have won 12 out of their last 15 encounters, drawing twice and losing only once. Bielsa appears to have perfected the 4-1-4-1 formation, which he used in 14 of the last 15 matches. In his team’s last match against Charlton Athletic on July 22nd, he used a 3-5-1-1 formation and ran out 4-0 winners.
Conclusion
As Leeds United inch closer to finalizing their line-up, the focus turns to their first matches. Whether they make it to the top of the Premier League table is another story. It will largely depend on whether they close the deal on their top players. Will they afford to grab them before some other team does?
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