Leeds United went all in during the summer transfer window; the club knew they had to improve the team ahead of their Premier League return. Fans knew that the team needed massive upgrades if they were to stand a chance in the top flight.
Recruitment was focused on getting top players from Europe’s best leagues for very good fees; the Whites averaged around £10 million per signing during the window. Leeds added a new goalkeeper, cover for the defence, added key midfielder options and brought some needed depth in attack. Fans were frustrated that just £18 million of the £100 million spent was used to sign an attacking player, with the other two joining as free agents.
With the first half of the season gone, fans have now seen what most of the signings have brought to the team. While some made some immediate impact like Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff, others took a while before adapting including Jaka Bijol and Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Graham Smyth gives verdict on Leeds United recruitment
One of the unsung heroes of this season has been Gabriel Gudmundsson; the left back slotted in the team and became the immediate starter. All summer, the Whites were looking to replace Junior Firpo who left for free. With his attacking contributions from left back last season, many fans were worried if Gudmundsson could do same. But the Swedish international has been a solid addition and an important part of the defence.
Graham Smyth has pointed out that a signing like the 26-year old is a ‘dream’ for recruitment:
“Sometimes it feels as though a club is totally in control of a transfer.” he said on the inside Elland Road podcast.
“There are times when they’re not, when they’re in for a player, and it seems to be going quite well, but then it slips through their graps and we saw that last summer.
“We saw that with Buonanotte, we saw it with Paixao, and we saw it with Harry Wilson; Leeds were never fully in control of those.
“But it felt like with Gudmundsson, they had it just locked down, really early and he was just sold, and he was coming to Leeds no matter what, which is just fantastic, really.
“When a newly promoted side can buy a player of that quality at the price as well, and it all goes smoothly, that’s the dream, that’s quite literally the recruitment dream.”
49ers should follow this model going forward
Getting a whole lot of signings who fit the team and are able to start from day one is the ideal window for any newly promoted club. Gabriel Gudmundsson should be the model moving forward; a player near his prime, never injured and has experience and quality at the top level who can immediately contribute to the team. He has been the unsung hero for the Whites this season, and has received praise from Daniel Farke. Hopefully in the summer, this will be a blueprint for the club moving forward.
| Statistic | |
|---|---|
| Games Available | 22 |
| Games Played | 22 |
| Starts | 21 |
| Big Chances Created | 3 |
| Tackles per Game | 2.2 |
| Duels Won per Game | 5.6 |
