Leeds United’s pre-season campaign is over, with all eyes now on the first game of the season against Everton. Daniel Farke’s side remained unbeaten in their five matches this summer.
Leeds faced Manchester United, SC Verl, Paderborn, Villarreal and AC Milan. A tough group of fixtures that saw Leeds win both games in Germany while drawing with Man United, Villarreal and Milan in Dublin.
LeedsUnited.News looks at each player individually and rates their pre-season campaign in a Leeds shirt. One player gets just 2/10, but it will come as no surprise that Anton Stach is the best of the bunch.
Leeds United’s pre-season player ratings after going unbeaten
Goalkeepers
Lucas Perri – 6: The £15.6m signing only managed to play in one game, hence his rating. He played the first half against Milan and was solid, even showing fans his long throw. Could do nothing about the goal.
Karl Darlow – 7: The Wales no.1 featured in all of the friendlies. He didn’t concede against Man United, Villarreal or Milan, and Daniel Farke confirmed Darlow is officially above Illan Meslier in the pecking order.
Illan Meslier – 5: When Meslier played, he looked good. A couple of fine saves against Man United and Villarreal, but his future at Leeds is over after Farke did not take the Frenchman to Dublin on Saturday.
Alex Cairns – 5: Not that much was expected of Cairns, but he did play against SC Verl. The Thorp Arch academy product’s highlight, holding on to the ball for too long and getting a telling off from the referee.
Defenders
Jayden Bogle – 4: Not his fault. Bogle was sensational against Man United, probably the best Leeds player on the pitch. But a hip injury means he could miss Everton. Bryn Law says Bogle is out for a ‘little while’.
Joe Rodon – 7: Solid, as you would expect from Rodon. It would have been higher, but Isaac Schmidt’s lack of positional awareness caught Rodon in no-man’s land for Milan’s goal. He’s better with Bogle fit.
Jaka Bijol – 7: Like Rodon, solid without particularly doing anything exceptional. Farke has been left with a difficult situation as he has to play Bijol who will be first choice, but Bijol is suspended ahead of Everton.
Pascal Struijk – 7: With Bijol missing for Everton and Sebastiaan Bornauw injured until the Everton game at least, Struijk will certainly start and his solid-enough performances at least instill some confidence.
Gabriel Gudmundsson – 8: Gudmundsson has got better with every outing. The £10m signing was superb against Milan, combining well with Willy Gnonto. Leeds may have finally brought in a left-back solution.
Isaac Schmidt – 2: Farke has had to start Schmidt against Villarreal and Milan with Bogle injured, and it is clear why he lacked game time. A move to Werder Bremen is likely, but Leeds want a replacement first.
Sam Byram – 5: Byram will know that he won’t play much this season and that was evident in pre-season. Even with Bogle injured, Byram has only been given substitute outings. He remains fit, which is a plus.
Sebastiaan Bornauw – 3: Annoyingly for £5m signing Bornauw, he picked up a knock on the first day in Germany and has been out since then. Solid against Man United, but his injury demons have remained.
Midfielders
Ethan Ampadu – 7: Reliable, consistent, rarely puts a foot wrong. After an injury-hit 2024-25, it was key that Ampadu had a good, uneventful pre-season and that seems to be the case for the Leeds captain.
Anton Stach – 9: At £19.9m, Leeds have got themselves a bargain in Stach. This man will be the heart of Leeds’ attacking work. The best player in a Leeds shirt against Villarreal and Milan. His goal was superb.
Sean Longstaff – 6: When signed, Leeds felt they had a bargain in Longstaff and that may turn out to be the case. But his pre-season performances saw him caught on the ball regularly. Not a definite to start.
Ao Tanaka – 5: If Longstaff doesn’t start, it will be Tanaka. But Leeds’ concerns over his lack of physicality were evident against Man United and Villarreal, knocked off the ball and losing possession in his own half.
Ilia Gruev – 7: Gruev will have been concerned about his Leeds future when watching Longstaff and Stach come in. But Farke used Gruev more than most players in pre-season and he remains a reliable option.
Wingers and playmakers
Brenden Aaronson – 7: Aaronson rocked up late to pre-season after Gold Cup duty with USA. He will have been concerned about the switch to 4-3-3, but used out wide against Villarreal, he showed his versatility.
Willy Gnonto – 7: Like Aaronson, Gnonto has changed position. The Italian is starting from the left and looks sharp, although he should have scored against Milan. Showed his loyalty when Mateo Joseph didn’t.
Dan James – 6: New contract for James, but his injury at the end of last season prevented the Welshman from playing until the Milan game. Had a right old ding-dong with Pervis Estupinan, good preparation.
Largie Ramazani – 5: Patrick Bamford said Ramazani was “flying” in training before the games started. But Ramazani has been overlooked for Jack Harrison and Gnonto on the left, and may be considering a move.
Jack Harrison – 6: Farke handed Harrison an olive branch, and the chance to reintegrate himself. Harrison has done that, looking good in glimpses and training well. Stood up to the expected boos in Dublin.
Strikers
Joel Piroe – 8: Four goals in five games including the equaliser against Villarreal, and the joint-winner of the bleep test with Sam Byram. Piroe is fighting to show Farke why he deserves to start against Everton.
Lukas Nmecha – 6: Nmecha was only signed as cover and his two goals in Germany will have gone down well with himself, and Farke. Has remained injury free after a difficult spell with injuries, which is a plus.
Harry Gray – 7: Gray featured regularly in pre-season and at his age, and stage in development, that is all he can ask for. Almost looped a header in against Villarreal, but the linesman’s flag was held aloft.
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