Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has given the supporters a reason to be excited for next season after stating that he is not interested in just surviving.
The Whites did brilliantly to finish 14th in the Premier League in their first year back in the big time after winning the Championship title in the 2024/25 campaign, whilst they also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
However, the German head coach does not want to battle relegation every year and wants to be the manager who pushes the club forward to compete at the top end of the table.
Leeds never kicked on after finishing in the top half under Marcelo Bielsa, as they almost got relegated the following season before actually being relegated in the 2022/23 campaign.
They need to build a squad that is capable of competing higher up the table, as the issue they had in their last Premier League stint was that they cashed in on their best players.
Leeds preparing bid to sign Premier League talent
In the summer of 2022, the Whites sold Raphinha to Barcelona for £55m and Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City for £45m, before being relegated that season.
Phillips, who played for England at the 2021 Euros as a Leeds player, was an integral part of the team, with his ability to play at centre-back or in central midfield as a tough-tackling presence.
Now, the club are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a player who could be Farke’s own version of the English star, who is still contracted to Manchester City.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are preparing to make an offer to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ladislav Krejci in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that they are willing to submit a serious bid for the star because Farke believes that he would add some much-needed physicality to the team.
It adds that Leeds are looking to offer a fee of £26m to sign the Czechia international, which would give Wolves their money back after his £26m move from Girona becomes official at the start of July.
Crystal Palace and Brentford are also said to be keeping tabs on the 27-year-old’s situation and could provide the Whites with competition for his signature.
How Ladislav Krejci can be Leeds United’s new Kalvin Phillips
Phillips offered versatility, physicality, and quality to Leeds before his move to City in 2022, and that is exactly what Krejci could offer to Farke’s team next season.
Despite being relegated with Wolves, the Czechia international showed enough in the Premier League this term to suggest that he could be an excellent, versatile, addition to the squad.
Like Phillips, Krejci can competently play as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, or centre-back, which means that Farke could play him in front of the defence or as part of a back three or four.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Krejci |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
28 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.2 |
|
Duels won per game |
3.7 |
|
Duel success rate |
50% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
57% |
|
Pass accuracy |
83% |
The 27-year-old star ranked in the top 20% of his positional peers in the Premier League for interceptions made (32), which speaks to his defensive quality, and the top 29% for passes made (1,087), which speaks to his quality on the ball.
Krejci marries defensive strength and quality with composure in possession with the ball at his feet, which is exactly what Phillips managed to do during his time at Elland Road.
The Czechia international, who showcased some of his defensive skills against Leeds back in October, should not be judged too harshly because of Wolves’ relegation from the Premier League, as he did not have the players around him to compete to stay up.
Plenty of top players have been relegated from the top-flight, just look at Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter at Leeds, and Summerville and Jarrod Bowen at West Ham United this year.
Instead of looking at Wolves’ relegation as a negative, Leeds have clearly seen it as an opportunity to snap up a quality talent like Krejci, potentially for £26m, to bolster their squad for next season.
The physically imposing, versatile, star could be a strong addition to the squad as Farke’s own Phillips, and play a role in building a squad that can push further up the table under the German head coach.
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