Leeds United had a busy summer transfer window, eventually bringing seven new players through the doors at Elland Road.
But for every player Leeds signed, others got away.
Some of those names have already become distant memories. Others, however, are still worth keeping an eye on, particularly now that the season is underway and there is finally some evidence to judge whether Leeds were right to pursue them.
Three players in particular stand out.
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Julian Brandt is making Leeds wonder what might have been
Brandt was arguably the biggest name Leeds tried to lure to Elland Road over the summer.
The former Borussia Dortmund playmaker held talks with Leeds before ultimately choosing Ajax, ending a lengthy pursuit of the Germany international.
So far, Brandt has given Leeds fans plenty of reason to wonder what might have happened had he said yes.
The 30-year-old has made seven Eredivisie appearances and scored four goals, with three of those goals coming in his last three league appearances at the time of writing. He is also Ajax’s leading league scorer.
That is an impressive start, particularly considering Brandt arrived at Ajax as a free agent after leaving Dortmund.
Leeds already have Harry Wilson operating in the attacking areas, but Brandt would have offered Farke another experienced creative option capable of playing between the lines.
There is no point dwelling on a transfer that never happened.
But if Brandt keeps producing at this rate, Leeds may occasionally look across the North Sea and wonder whether they missed an opportunity.
Shea Charles has quietly settled into Premier League life
Charles was another player Leeds worked hard to sign.
The Whites made multiple bids for the Northern Ireland midfielder, but Southampton held firm over their valuation before Fulham eventually won the race for his signature.
Charles has since moved to Craven Cottage and has been gradually introduced to the Premier League.
He has appeared in all five of Fulham’s league matches so far, starting three and accumulating more than 300 minutes. He also played the full 90 minutes in Fulham’s 0-0 draw at Liverpool and their 1-1 draw against Manchester United.
The numbers are not spectacular. Charles has not scored or assisted yet.
But that misses the point of his game.
He was never recruited as a goalscoring midfielder. His value is in his defensive work, positional discipline and ability to play in more than one position.
Leeds eventually chose to spend heavily elsewhere, including on their midfield options.
Charles’ progress at Fulham will therefore be worth following, particularly if Leeds find themselves wanting more defensive security in the middle of the pitch during the season.
Pavel Sulc is showing why Leeds were interested
Sulc is perhaps the most intriguing of the three because Leeds never actually got close to bringing him to England.
The Czech attacker was linked with a move to Elland Road during the summer, but remained with Lyon. More recently, he revealed that he rejected a £35m move to Wrexham, while Leeds were also among the clubs interested in him.
His start in France has been encouraging.
Sulc has contributed three assists in seven matches for Lyon, who are currently second in Ligue 1. He also registered an assist in Lyon’s 4-0 win over Rennes on September 19.
There is clearly still plenty of football to be played before anyone can decide whether Leeds should have pushed harder for him.
But Sulc has already shown enough to suggest that the interest was not misplaced.
Leeds will have to keep watching
There is no guarantee any of these three players would have made Leeds a better team.
Transfers are rarely that simple, and a player’s performances can change dramatically depending on the manager, system and teammates around him.
But that is what makes these players interesting to follow.
Brandt is already producing goals at Ajax. Charles is getting regular Premier League minutes at Fulham. Sulc is beginning to make an impact at Lyon.
Leeds ultimately went in a different direction during the summer.
For now, all three are worth watching.
And if January brings a few surprises at Elland Road, don’t be shocked if one of these names finds its way back into the conversation.
