Leeds United get their Premier League campaign underway on Saturday when Daniel Farke’s side travel to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest.
The Whites silenced plenty of their doubters last season, securing their top-flight survival with games to spare before eventually finishing 14th.
Staying in the Premier League remains the priority this season, but Leeds will also be looking to show they can build on last year’s success and take another step forward.
The club’s summer transfer business has made their ambitions clear, and Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest should offer an early glimpse of how much progress Farke’s side have made during the summer.
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Sensational Leeds United claim made ahead of the new season
Leeds United’s win over Manchester United at Old Trafford last season was a historic moment for the club, and it more or less secured their Premier League survival.
The draw between the two sides at Elland Road in Janaury was also consequential as it turned out to be Ruben Amorim’s last game in charge of the Red Devils.
However, talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham has gone strongly on Leeds this season and believes the Whites are going to finish about Manchester United in the Premier League.
He insisted that he is not sold on what Manchester United have done this summer and believes they will struggle to cope with multiple competitions this season.
Durham said on talkSPORT: “I’ve got a Manchester United-based outrageous opinion to kick off with, and that is that Spurs and Leeds will finish above Manchester United.
“I’m negative about Manchester United. What’s going on there defensively, for a start. I’m a massive Michael Carrick fan as a player and as a manager, but they had 40 games last season, and you could easily argue they underachieved when they had the player of the year [Bruno Fernandes].
“How are they going to cope with more games? They are expected to go deep in multiple competitions, not expected to go out early in the Champions League, so I’m struggling to see them perform to the levels in the Premier League that they did last season.
“Leeds are a bit of a rogue one, and Spurs are a rogue one, bearing in mind where they finished last season.”
At the end, he tipped Leeds to finish 6th and Manchester United 7th.
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Can Leeds qualify for Europe?
European football should not be the expectation for Leeds United next season. The main priority has to be establishing themselves in the Premier League and making sure they stay comfortably clear of another relegation battle.
That does not mean Leeds cannot aim higher. The club have shown plenty of ambition in the transfer market this summer and are expected to strengthen the squad further before the window closes.
With so many clubs around them spending heavily, even a top-half finish would represent a significant achievement. But Leeds showed plenty of resilience and character last season, and the squad looks stronger heading into the new campaign.
If a few of the more established sides underperform and an opportunity opens up, Leeds could find themselves in the conversation. A top-eight finish could potentially bring European football, and the Whites will be hoping to take advantage if that opportunity presents itself.
