Leeds United signed seven new players to improve Daniel Farke’s squad that finished 14th in the Premier League table in the 2025/26 season.
The Whites secured two more deals on the final day of the transfer window. The club welcomed French left-back Melvin Bard and 21-year-old attacker Jean-Matteo Bahoya on loan deals on Tuesday.
Harry Wilson, Tarik Muharemovic, James Trafford and Nico Elvedi have made their debuts for Leeds, and backup goalkeeper Michael Zetterer may have to wait to get his first game.
It remains to be seen whether Bard and Bahoya get their opportunity to put on the Leeds shirt for their debut when the Whites take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
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Leeds United’s strongest starting XI after the transfer window
Goalkeeper
James Trafford joined Leeds for a club-record fee, and he has looked worth every penny the Whites spent to sign him from Manchester City this summer. He is the undisputed number 1 at Leeds, while Zetterer is his backup goalkeeper.
Illan Meslier and Karl Darlow left the club on free transfers, and Leeds allowed Lucas Perri to join Torino on loan in the last window.
Defence
Pascal Struijk left Leeds to join Brighton early in the summer, and Tarik Muhremovic joined the club as his replacement. Leeds also signed Nico Elvedi following the departure of Sebastiaan Bornauw.
Joe Rodon, once he is back from his hamstring injury, Tarik Muharemovic and Jaka Bijol are the first-choice centre-back options this season. Bijol’s Premier League experience is likely to trump Elvedi at least in the beginning.
Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson are likely to be wing-backs, with James Justin and Melvin Bard as their backups in the squad.
Midfield
It looks increasingly likely that Anton Stach will partner captain Ethan Ampadu in midfield. Sean Longstaff looked good and did everything he could in pre-season to make a case for a starting spot. However, he was still left out for the final friendly before being overlooked for the first two Premier League games.
Ao Tanaka remains a useful option, but his error-prone ways make Farke reluctant to rely on him as a first-choice midfielder. Ilia Gruev, meanwhile, offers a more defensive approach, which could alter the balance of the midfield.
Attack
Harry Wilson was on the bench against Brentford last weekend, but he remains the more productive attacking option compared with Brenden Aaronson, even if the American brings graft into the team. Leeds pursued Wilson in consecutive summers for a reason, and his quality in the final third should eventually see him reclaim his place.
Wilson is likely to occupy the right-sided No.10 role, with Noah Okafor currently ahead of the competition on the opposite flank. That could change as the season progresses, with Bahoya pushing for opportunities, although the 21-year-old will need time to adapt to English football.
Okafor already has a year of English football behind him and has shown that he can contribute goals. He snubbed an approach from Sunderland on deadline day.
Leeds United’s strongest starting XI
Trafford; Rodon, Bijol, Muharemovic, Bogle, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Stach, Wilson, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin
