Leeds United fans are preparing for the Premier League next season after their big win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday night. While their lead at the top is not insurmountable, it would take a cataclysmic loss of form for Leeds not to earn automatic promotion to the Premier League. However, the struggles of the promoted teams this season have more or less made it clear that Leeds might need a flawless summer to ensure that they have a squad ready for the rigours of the top flight. Daniel Farke would not want to tempt fate but Leeds have been advised that they need to get things going early and plan for the next window as soon as possible.
Daniel Farke’s side are closing in on automatic promotion this season and are almost certain to play in the Premier League at the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Leeds boss admitted that after the win over Sunderland last week, that his side would need 20 points from their remaining 13 games to get the job done. Three of those points were bagged at Bramall Lane on Monday night.
Leeds’ recruitment team have already been looking at players with the expectation of being in the top flight next season and ideas are being discussed inside meetings about what they would need to do over the summer.
The Whites would hope to learn from the mistakes the three promoted teams committed last summer and get to work as soon as possible in the coming weeks and months.
Troy Deeney conceded that Leeds need to start thinking about what they would need to step up to the plate in the Premier League next season.
Leeds United need to start planning early – the former Premier League forward
The three promoted teams from last season – Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton – are the bottom three of the Premier League at this stage and are favourites to go straight back down.
The gulf between the Premier League and the Championship has never been wider and it is becoming increasingly difficult for promoted teams to get a foothold in the top flight.
Leeds will face those same challenges if they go up and their recruitment has to be spot on in the summer if they have any chance of survival in the top flight.
Deeney, who has already mentioned his misgivings about Farke managing in the Premier League, pointed out Leeds need to find a way to step up as it would get harder as teams are continuing to spend big money in the Premier League.
The former striker insisted that the Whites need to start planning and assessing their squad as soon as possible to prepare themselves for the top flight.
“What are you going to do to step up next year?”, Deeney said on talkSPORT.
“You just start looking at the teams and how much they are spending and you are like, how are you going to stay up?
“While Leeds will hopefully run away with it and get it done, you’d like to see them start planning early on what they are going to do moving on.”
Leeds and their fans know Deeney is right
Once promotion is secured, Leeds players and the fans will celebrate going back up as many believe the club deserve to be a regular Premier League side.
However, it would also soon dawn on them how difficult a task it would be to turn a promotion-winning squad into a team that could survive in the Premier League.
The Leeds owners will back Daniel Farke with funds to retool the squad but the gap between the two leagues is so vast, it would take some level of spending to ensure Leeds have a squad that can at least survive in the top flight.
Can you name these 10 Leeds United players from the 2000s?
It looks difficult but teams such as Bournemouth have done it in recent years through shrewd transfer dealings and ruthlessness in their decision making.
Deeney is right in insisting that Leeds need to start their planning early and assess what they need as soon as possible, as they will not have time to waste.
The behind-the-scenes men at Leeds cannot afford a break in the summer even if the players will put up their feet after a long and hard season.
