Leeds United’s recruitment department includes the likes of Adam Underwood, Robbie Evans, and Alex Davies, with the former speaking for the first time since deadline day.
Adam Underwood is Sporting Director at Leeds United, but he has not been in his role for long, with the 49ers having promoted him to his current role in May 2025.
Underwood was first hired by Leeds over a decade ago in November 2014, when he initially joined as Academy Director. He was promoted to head of football operations in July 2023 and then again earlier this year, amid another executive reshuffle.
Underwood and Robbie Evans have the 49ers’ backing following Evans claiming Leeds ‘maxed out’ PSR. In the end, though, Leeds fans were left frustrated after deadline day.
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Adam Underwood reveals Leeds United’s copied blueprint
Underwood and Daniel Farke worked closely alongside one another in the summer and it’s fair to say that Underwood was kept busy during Leeds’ recent transfer window.
After 10 new signings, and a real onus on physicality and size, Underwood has spoken on the 49ers’ Leeds masterplan for the future. But he also outlined the blueprint currently, with Leeds eyeing survival.
He spoke to the BBC and said: “There are a number of clubs like Brentford — Brighton are in that bracket too — who have an excellent base from which they run their football operation.
“Everyone is aware how they use data to get a competitive advantage and recruit really well. The evidence of that from those clubs is everywhere.
“I am sure it has helped to sustain them in the Premier League and helped them grow and continue to be successful.
“We know that as a Championship club promoted to the Premier League the task is huge to buck the trend of the six clubs over the past two years who have come up and gone straight back down.
“We look at clubs across the Premier League and ask: ‘What did they do well?’, ‘How did they manage to achieve what they have achieved in staying up?’.”
Leeds were told to emulate Fulham’s blueprint before. In fact, Leeds have been compared to Fulham previously by EFL expert Ali Maxwell. He even added that Leeds can learn from Marco Silva’s side in the Premier League.
There is no one way of doing it, but a number of clubs have managed to make top flight football stick after promotion from the Championship in varying and different ways.
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Robbie Evans and Adam Underwood’s next steps ahead of January
The problem wasn’t necessarily the quality of the additions Leeds’ Sporting Director helped to make, but more that Leeds fans wanted more signings from Underwood and co. before the close of the transfer deadline.
The Facundo Buonanotte transfer saga and Leeds’ Harry Wilson deadline day fiasco left them with egg on their faces in many ways. January will be the time to rectify that mistake.
Leeds were restricted financially by PSR constraints but a Leeds United News exclusive has revealed the PSR situation and Evans and Underwood’s next steps for Leeds ahead of January.
They need a differential in attack as the bare minimum. Anything beyond that is a bonus, but Evans and Underwood need to leave their talking to the signings they make from now on.
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