Leeds United will enter their third summer transfer window under the stewardship of 49ers Enterprises next month and it is comfortably the most exciting one yet. Chairman Paraag Marathe described it as the most important window at Elland Road in decades following promotion and serious money is expected to be spent strengthening Daniel Farke’s squad.
The business done at Elland Road will be put under the microscope and now more than ever, it’s crucial Elland Road chiefs get the vast majority of their decisions right. But in two full years in charge of Leeds, many would agree 49ers Enterprises have generally conducted good transfer business.
Four transfer windows have passed under 49ers and in that time, Leeds have signed 18 first-team players from eight-figure marquee signings to mid-season free agents. Below, the YEP has rated each piece of business to get an idea of what could be to come.
1. Lucas Perri - 5/10
Leeds committed £16m on Perri last summer but the Brazilian struggled and was eventually dropped. It's hard to see him becoming first-choice any time soon and reports from Italy suggest talks have behind for a loan move to Torino. | Mike Egerton/PA Wire
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2. Karl Darlow - 8/10
Joined for a bargain £400,000 in July 2023 and twice came in for under-performing teammates, first replacing Illan Meslier during the Championship promotion race before usurping Lucas Perri last season. Provided stability on both occasions and Leeds wanted him to stay longer, but a move to Old Trafford was confirmed on Tuesday. | Mike Egerton/PA Wire
3. Alex Cairns - 5/10
Hard to go higher given he hasn't played a competitive game since joining from League Two Salford City in 2024. But also difficult to go too low as it's clear how much Daniel Farke values his presence in the squad. There's no doubt the positive impact he'll have had since returning to West Yorkshire. | LUFC
4. Djed Spence - 3/10
Spence's loan move from Tottenham in 2023 was met with huge excitement but his time at Elland Road simply never got going. The full-back only played seven games before Leeds exercised their option to terminate his stay the following January. Has since enjoyed a bit of a revival in North London, evidence the quality is there. | Getty Images
5. Connor Roberts - 4/10
Roberts effectively replaced Spence in January 2024 but found himself fighting for minutes with Archie Gray, whose outstanding breakout campaign showed no sign of slowing. Roberts only started two Championship games and was sidelined with injury a little too often for anybody's liking. Remained a good squad member throughout, however. | Mike Egerton/PA Wire
6. Jayden Bogle - 9/10
A shaky start raised some questions but Bogle has answered them emphatically, both in the Championship and Premier League. The right-back was excellent last season and thrived in a wing-back role, making a mockery of his £5m price-tag. | Getty Images