Leeds United’s sole focus going into the 2025-26 Premier League season is survival, to allow the club to consolidate and push themselves towards becoming an established top-flight side again.
Leeds’ previous stint in the Premier League lasted just three years. The first year was excellent but the next two years saw Leeds embroiled in a relegation scrap, and there was never any confidence of staying up.
Now back in the Premier League, the gap between Championship and Premier League is widening. The last six promoted sides have been relegated, though Alan Shearer thinks that trend will change this term.
Jeff Stelling thinks Leeds will stay up, but Leeds’ frustration in the transfer market could prove to play a part in the club’s attempts to remain in the Premier League. Sunderland have taken a lead in the window.
Ally McCoist thinks one promoted side will avoid relegation
So far, Leeds have spent £80m on seven new signings. Daniel Farke and Adam Underwood have added five stars with National Team caps, in Belgium, Sweden, Slovenia and two Germany internationals joining.
Sunderland though, have blown the market apart. Regis Le Bris’ side needed additions and are set to sign their 11th of the summer in Paraguay defender Omar Aldarete. McCoist thinks his old side will stay up.
“One of the promoted sides will stay up. I really hope so. It is probably my heart ruling my head, but I’ve plumped for Sunderland to stay up just before Leeds,” McCoist predicted on TalkSPORT (11/08, 8.25AM).
Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley’s transfers so far this summer
As aforementioned, Sunderland are closing in on their eleventh addition of the window with spending set to reach a whopping £130m. Aldarete is believed to cost Sunderland in the region of £10m from Getafe.
Burnley meanwhile, immediately signed four players due to clauses in loan contracts. Jaidon Anthony, Marcus Edwards, Zian Flemming and Bashir Humphreys joined the moment Burnley secured promotion.
| Leeds | Sunderland | Burnley |
| Lukas Nmecha (Free, Wolfsburg) | Enzo Le Fee (£19.3m, Roma) | Kyle Walker (£5m, Man City) |
| Sebastiaan Bornauw (£5m, Wolfsburg) | Habib Diarra (£30m, Strasbourg) | Loum Tchaouna (£12m, Lazio) |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson (£10m, Lille) | Noah Sadiki (£15m, Union Saint-Gilloise) | Axel Tuanzebe (Free, Ipswich) |
| Sean Longstaff (£15m, Newcastle) | Reinildo Mandava (Free, Atletico Madrid) | Quilindschy Hartman (£10m, Feyenoord) |
| Jaka Bijol (£15m, Udinese) | Chemsdine Talbi (£18m, Club Brugge) | Bashir Humphreys (£10m, Chelsea) |
| Lucas Perri (£15.6m, Lyon) | Simon Adingra (£21m, Brighton) | Jaidon Anthony (£8m, Bournemouth) |
| Anton Stach (£19.9m, Hoffenheim) | Granit Xhaka (£13m, Bayer Leverkusen) | Marcus Edwards (£8.5m, Sporting Lisbon) |
| Robin Roefs (£9m, NEC Nijmegen) | Zian Flemming (£7m, Millwall) | |
| Arthur Masuaku (Free, Besiktas) | Max Weiss (£4.2m, Karlsruher) | |
| Marc Guiu (Loan, Chelsea) | Jacob Bruun Larsen (£3.5m, Stuttgart) | |
| Omar Aldarete – to be confirmed (£10m, Getafe) | Lesley Oguchukwu (£23.5m, Chelsea) | |
| Martin Dubravka (Undisclosed, Newcastle) | ||
| Armando Broja (£20m, Chelsea) | ||
| Total: £80.5m | Total: £135.3m | Total: £111.7m |
Leeds are expected to go far beyond the £100m mark, but nothing has been done in terms of incomings since Lucas Perri’s arrival almost three weeks ago. Leeds begin their campaign with Everton on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sunderland host West Ham on Saturday in a game they will be hoping to get a result from, while Burnley go to Scott Parker’s old side Tottenham. Leeds will be hoping for new signings beforehand.
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