Leeds United’s pre-season begins on July 25 against Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham in Florida, where Daniel Farke’s side will hope to build on a strong end to last season. With just over a month until the Premier League returns, LWOS has rounded up four questions that the Whites need to answer before the 2026/27 campaign kicks off.
Read More: Aston Villa Eye Move for ‘Magic’ Winger
Leeds United’s Pre-Season Begins: Four Questions Daniel Farke’s Side Still Need to Answer
Will Leeds Change Formation to a Back Four?
Leeds’ switch from a 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2 system last season was nothing short of transformational, with only five Premier League teams earning more points than the Whites after November 29, when Farke first experimented with a back five. However, doubts have been raised as to whether the Leeds boss will persist with the same formation next year.
In an interview with The Athletic, new signing Harry Wilson revealed that the Whites manager had reiterated his preference for a back four setup, suggesting that the club are looking to go in a different direction in the upcoming season. With £34 million invested in 23-year-old defender Tarik Muharemovic, who is comfortable on the left of a back three or as a left-sided centre-back in a back four, Leeds have the option to play either system, so it is something to keep an eye on in pre-season.
Leeds United’s Pre-Season Begins: Where Are All the Goalkeepers?
With last season’s number one Karl Darlow joining Manchester United and forgotten man Illan Meslier joining Arsenal, Farke currently has just two first-team goalkeepers at his disposal. With Lucas Perri attracting interest from Torino after a disappointing first year at Elland Road, third-choice keeper Alex Cairns looks set to start against Wrexham as things stand.
Having never made a first-team appearance since joining Leeds in 2024, 33-year-old Cairns now finds himself as the only keeper likely to still be at the club by the start of next season. Although several names have been mentioned, such as Parma’s Zion Suzuki and Union Saint-Gilloise’s Kjell Scherpen, nothing concrete has appeared thus far.
Read More: Leeds United’s Goalkeeper Search Latest: Suzuki In?
How Will Harry Wilson Fit Into The Starting Lineup?
With Welsh international Wilson joining on a four-year contract with a reported weekly salary of almost £100k a week, it seems clear that the versatile attacker will almost immediately become Leeds’ main man. If the Whites stick to last season’s 5-3-2/5-2-2-1 system, Wilson will surely replace Brenden Aaronson as one of the two number 10s, alongside either Anton Stach or Noah Okafor, shouldering primary responsibility for the side’s creativity.
If Farke opts to revert back to a 4-3-3 as he began last season, the 29-year-old is likely to play off the right wing, matching his position at Fulham, where he was able to cut in onto his stronger left foot. Considering Wilson’s outstanding stats in 2025/26 and the money the club have invested in him, the German may experiment with a different system in pre-season in order to play to the winger’s strengths.
Leeds United’s Pre-Season Begins: Which Players Are Returning From Loan?
Leeds have several players that went out on loan in 2025/26 and will now need to be assessed during pre-season to see where their future lies.
After a successful loan spell at Valencia, winger Largie Ramazani seems likely to return to Spain, with the Belgian’s move to Yorkshire not quite working out for both parties. Similar decisions will need to be made on Jack Harrison, Max Wober and Joe Gelhardt, who the Whites will be keen to cash in on and remove from the wage bill. Gelhardt in particular may fetch a decent price, having scored 15 goals as Hull City secured promotion to the Premier League.
Despite displaying enormous potential when he first broke through at Leeds, Mateo Joseph now finds himself in a strange position. At 22 years old, the striker returns to the club for an indefinite period after recording two goals and two assists for Mallorca before rupturing his ACL. The Spanish youngster asked to leave United last summer after failing to oust Joel Piroe as the club’s first-choice forward, but will now have to put his future on hold as he recovers from the knee injury sustained in April.
Featured Image Courtesy of Imago/DepositPhotos
