The transfer window has closed and it’s panic stations at Leeds United.
What started as a positive transfer window, as Leeds United improved key areas, turned into a disaster after the deadline, with no additional firepower secured.
Daniel Farke warned that his side needed more attacking quality to survive in the Premier League, with Leeds missing out on Facundo Buonanotte, Dilane Bakwa, Christantus Uche and Harry Wilson in the final weeks of the window.
There’s a sliver of hope that Leeds could try and sign free agents Christian Eriksen or Josh Brownhill after the window has closed, but it’s hardly an ideal situation to be in.
Leeds have a huge fight to survive in the top flight and here is how their summer spending compares with their biggest relegation rivals.
- Every player linked with Leeds in the transfer window: Latest fees and news on Daniel Farke’s targets
Leeds United transfer spending compared to Burnley, Sunderland, West Ham, Wolves and Brentford
As the three promoted teams have gone straight back down in the last two seasons, Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley are all favourites to be relegated.
However, some established Premier League sides have their own troubles, with Brentford, West Ham and Wolves all candidates to drop to the Championship as well.
Here is who the six teams signed in the summer:
Leeds United signings
- Lukas Nmecha – Wolfsburg, free
- Jaka Bijol – Udinese, £15m
- Sebastiaan Bornauw – Wolfsburg, £5.1m
- Gabriel Gudmundsson – Lille, £10.3m
- Sean Longstaff – Newcastle United, £12m (rising to £15m)
- Anton Stach – Hoffenheim, £17.3m (rising to £19.9m)
- Lucas Perri – Lyon, £13.9m (rising to £15.6m)
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Everton, free
- Noah Okafor – AC Milan, £13m (rising to £18m)
- James Justin – Leicester City, £8m (rising to £10m)
Total spend: £94.6m (rising to £108.9m)
Sunderland signings
- Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen, £17.3m
- Simon Adingra – Brighton, £20.5m
- Habib Diarra – Strasbourg, £30m
- Enzo Le Fee – Roma, £20m
- Noah Sadiki – Union Saint-Gilloise, £17.5m
- Reinildo Mandava – Atletico Madrid, free
- Chemsdine Talbi – Club Brugge, £19m
- Robin Roefs – NEC Nijmegen, £11.5m
- Arthur Masuaku – Besiktas, free
- Omar Alderete – Getafe, £10m
- Nordi Mukiele – Paris Saint-Germain, £12m
- Lutsharel Geertruida – RB Leipzig, loan
- Brian Brobbey – Ajax, £21.3m
- Bertrand Traore – Ajax, £2.5m
Total spend: £181.6m
Burnley signings
- Kyle Walker – Man City, £5m
- Loum Tchaouna – Lazio, £12m
- Axel Tuanzebe – Ipswich, free
- Quilindschy Hartman – Feyenoord, £7.7m
- Bashir Humphreys – Chelsea, £10m
- Jaidon Anthony – Bournemouth, £8m
- Marcus Edwards – Sporting CP, £8.5m
- Zian Flemming – Millwall, £7m
- Max Weiss – Karlsruher, £4.2m
- Jacob Bruun Larsen – Stuttgart, £3.4m
- Lesley Ugochukwu – Chelsea, £23m
- Martin Dubravka – Newcastle, £3m
- Armando Broja – Chelsea, £20m
- Fiorentino Luis – Benfica, loan
Total spend: £111.8m
Wolves signings
- Fer Lopez – Celta, £21.3m
- Jorgen Strand Larsen – Celta Vigo, £23m
- Jhon Arias – Fluminense, £15m
- David Moller Wolfe – AZ Alkmaar, £10m
- Jackson Tchatchoua – Hellas Verona, £10.8m
- Ladislav Krejci – Girona, loan
- Tolu Arokodare – Genk, £23.4m
Total spend: £103.5m
West Ham United signings
- Jean-Clair Todibo – Nice, £35m
- El Hadji Malick Diouf – Slavia Prague, £19m
- Daniel Cummings – Celtic, free
- Kyle Walker-Peters – Southampton, free
- Callum Wilson – Newcastle, free
- Mads Hermansen – Leicester City, £18m
- Mateus Fernandes – Southampton, £42m
- Soungoutou Magassa – Monaco, £17.3m
- Igor Julio – Brighton, loan
Total spend: £131.3m
Brentford signings
- Michael Kayode – Fiorentina, £14m
- Romelle Donovan – Birmingham, £3m
- Caoimhin Kelleher – Liverpool, £18m
- Antoni Milambo – Feyenoord, £18.8m
- Jordan Henderson – Ajax, free
- Dango Ouattara – Bournemouth, £42m
- Reiss Nelson – Arsenal, loan
Total spend: £95.8m
Who will suffer Premier League relegation in 2025-26?
With all add-ons fees included, Leeds were the third lowest spenders of the top six relegation candidates in the 2025-26 season.
Brentford were the lowest with an outlay of just £95.8m, fuelling many people’s theory that the Bees’ time in the top flight could come to an end.
They have suffered a lot of losses in the summer with Thomas Frank and star players Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard all heading for the exit, though new striker Dango Ouattara has hit the ground running.
Then there’s Wolves, the only side in the top flight who are yet to pick up a single point so far. They spent £103.5m and have just four midfielders in their squad in what could be a difficult campaign after losing stars Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait Nouri.
The three promoted sides will need some established Premier League teams to struggle if they are to buck the trend and survive.
Sunderland and Burnley have done all they can to try and secure their spots by spending heavily, with both clubs outgunning Leeds in the transfer market.
Come May, that’s what might make the difference and send the Whites down.
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