A Leeds United star is nearing a Whites exit and he is unlikely to be alone in departing Elland Road this summer. So what will the new ‘base’ to build from look like?
Leeds are heading back to the Premier League as Championship champions and the club’s recruitment this summer will clearly be crucial to the club’s prospects of surviving the first season back.
But Leeds have already lost two key men from last season’s promotion winning team in former loanees Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell and more player exits also appear very likely with the first of them seemingly imminent.
First choice left back Junior Firpo becomes a free agent this summer upon his contract expiring and the 28-year-old has reportedly digitally signed a three-year deal to re-join former club Real Betis.
Huge doubt also surrounds the future of another defender Max Wober who told Austrian press this week that Leeds wanted to sell him. With two of last season’s key men Solomon and Rothwell also returning to their parent clubs, the base to build from will most likely look very different to the one that ended the 2024-25 campaign.
Here, we run through our idea of the new best XI and bench after the summer’s most likely exits but with an attacker addition.
13. Sam Byram
Gudmundsson's arrival but also Byram's deal leaves Leeds with plenty of cover in the full-back positions with Bornauw and Isaac Schmidt in the mix too. Bornauw seems sure to make a strongest XI so it's probably a close call pick between Byram and Schmidt for the other back up option, Byram possibly narrowly preferred. | LUFC
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14. Sub: Pascal Struijk
A hard call but the arrival of Bijol would probably see Struijk drop to the bench. | Getty Images
15. Sub: Sebastiaan Bornauw
The new signing is another who will be hoping to start at centre-back but he probably begins behind Bijol and Rodon in the pecking order and an option at right back too. | LUFC
16. Sub: Ilia Gruev
The other main centre midfield starting option and a player who played every minute of United's last six league games although that was with Ampadu dropping back into defence. | Getty Images
17. Sub: Largie Ramazani
A player with stacks of potential who could yet challenge for a start out wide. | Getty Images
18. Sub: Jack Harrison
Harrison even making the bench won't be everyone's cup of tea after leaving the club for the last two seasons in the Championship as he maintained his run of top-flight football with Everton. The winger's future also remains very unclear. IF, though, he does stay then a player of his experience and quality when on form surely at the very least makes the bench, if not the present XI. | Getty Images