Leeds United sit at the summit of the Championship and still have eleven games remaining in the season. However, they are the favourites to get automatic promotion to the Premier League and are being backed as one of the certainties to go up this season. The promotion talk around Elland Road has led to speculation over what they would need to do in the summer to survive in the top flight next season. Some have suggested that Leeds could need to spend around £200m to give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League next year. The club are already looking at players who could come in and make a difference in the Premier League. Leeds want to sign a striker or two but Daniel Farke is also believed to be keen on adding to his wide options next season and one of the players, who has been in terrific form this season, has been on their radar for a while.
The struggles of the three promoted teams in the Premier League this season have been worrying for the sides who are hoping to play in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.
Leicester and Ipswich were brilliant in the Championship last season and Southampton made it to the top flight after beating Leeds United in the playoff final.
However, all three teams are favourites to come straight back down to the Championship at the end of the season, highlighting the widening gulf between the second tier and the Premier League.
Leeds have been backed to buck the trend if they go up to the Premier League this season but it would not be a walk in the park and serious investment is needed in the squad to make them top flight-ready over the summer transfer window.
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Nicolas Kuhn joined Celtic in the January transfer window last year and after taking some time to adapt to Scottish football, the German winger has been a revelation this season.
Several Premier League clubs have their eyes on him this season, where he has already scored 18 goals, including against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Celtic are expected to find it hard to keep him at Parkhead next summer due to interest from the south, which also involves Leeds who are keen to sign him if they get promoted.
However, former Leeds star Paul Robinson does not believe the Whites need to sign a winger and at this stage he can’t see Kuhn starting games for them if he arrives at Elland Road.
He indicated it could be good business if Leeds sign him for a cut-price fee given the fact he only cost around £3m to Celtic in January last year.
However, he would prefer to see Leeds sign Manor Solomon on a permanent deal over Kunh if it’s a choice they have to make and focus on defensive and midfield reinforcements in the summer.
“I don’t think they need a new wide man”, he told Football Insider.
“You look at the players they’ve got in those areas, if they can get Manor Solomon in on a permanent deal then they’ve got enough.
“You’ve got Willie Gnonto, Dan James, Largie Ramazani and Solomon, there’s quality in those wide areas.
“Would Nicolas Kuhn come into the Leeds side and start now? At the moment, he wouldn’t.
“Squad-wise, depending on what they’re left with, for me both Dan James and Willie Gnonto are better and would have more of an impact than him.
“If it was a decision between Solomon and Kuhn, I think they’re taking Solomon.
“Kuhn is a top player and he’s proved he can do it in the Champions League – but when you look at what Celtic paid for him, I don’t think there would be a huge transfer fee involved.
“Leeds have to be careful not to end up with an unbalanced squad.
“At the moment, they don’t have enough defensive cover or defensive midfield cover.
“That’s the area of the pitch they need to look at bringing in new players.
“Khun is a top player and would be a good addition to the squad, but is he needed at the moment? No.”
He would be a good deal at the right price
Leeds United will be looking to bring in reinforcements for most areas of their squad as this season has made it clear that the gap between the Premier League and the Championship is far too wide.
Signing forwards seems to be a priority for Leeds in the summer, but the Whites would also need wingers as Wilfried Gnonto and Largie Ramazani have flattered to deceive this season, and there is no reason to suggest that they would do better in the top flight.
Even if Leeds sign Solomon on a permanent deal, they would need more cover in the wide areas and Kuhn has proved his mettle in the Champions League this season.
Can you name the Leeds game these 10 goal celebrations are from?
Celtic are a selling club and would cash-in on the winger if they receive the right fee but Leeds can’t afford to get mugged by the Scottish champions.
Leeds will have money to spend if they go up, but it won’t be an endless pit of cash and they will still need to spend judiciously and within the Premier League’s financial rules.
If they could get Kuhn for a reasonable fee, he would be a good addition to a squad that would require players who have played at the highest level.
