Leeds United know surviving in the Premier League requires more than momentum from promotion. Daniel Farke’s side need proven quality and the 2026 relegation market hands them the perfect opportunity to strengthen quickly.
Leeds are expected to target a goalkeeper, centre-back, left-back, midfielder, creative player, winger and striker this summer. West Ham, Wolves and Burnley all possess players who fit those needs while already understanding Premier League football.
Several of the names below have already been linked with Leeds, while others simply suit the profile the club now needs. Relegation also changes negotiating positions, giving Leeds a realistic chance of landing players who may otherwise have been unattainable.
Leeds could solve their creativity issue with proven attackers
Crysencio Summerville would immediately become one of the most exciting attacking options available to Leeds if West Ham’s relegation forces sales. The Dutch winger finished the 2025-26 season with seven goals and five assists.
Name a better midfield signing in the Premer League this season… 👑
Stats say Stach is the second-best Premier League signing of 2025-26.
Leeds already know exactly what Summerville can bring after selling him in 2024, and his ability to replace the unpredictability of Wilfried Gnonto makes obvious sense. Few players in the bottom half carried the ball into the final third more consistently than the former Leeds winger.
Mateus Mane is another player Leeds could target from a relegated squad that still contained genuine Premier League-level quality. The Wolves playmaker created more than 35 chances during the campaign while also ranking highly for progressive carries and successful take-ons.
Mane would offer Leeds a more direct and physically aggressive creative option behind the striker. His ability to break lines on the ball could make him a serious upgrade on Brenden Aaronson.
Leeds may target physicality and leadership at the back
Ladislav Krejci looks tailor-made for a newly promoted side trying to survive physically in the Premier League. Wolves are expected to sign the Czech skipper permanently from Girona due to an obligation.
Krejci won more than 65% of his aerial duels during 2025-26 while also ranking among Wolves’ best defenders for clearances and blocks. Krejci’s leadership as Czech Republic captain appeals to Leeds.
Santiago Bueno remains another logical option with Leeds tracking him. Marcelo Bielsa’s trust in the Uruguay defender matters because Leeds still value defenders capable of catching Bielsa’s attention.
Bueno averaged more than four clearances per game during Wolves’ relegation season while also posting strong duel numbers under pressure. Leeds need more Premier League-ready depth at centre-back.
Hugo Bueno and El Hadji Malick Diouf would also strengthen Leeds at left-back. Hugo Bueno created more than 30 chances from defence in 2025-26, while Diouf contributed six goals and assists combined despite West Ham’s collapse.
Leeds need genuine competition for Gabi Gudmundsson, especially after repeated defensive problems down the left side. Leeds eyed Bueno last summer, while rivalling West Ham for Diouf’s signature.
Midfield is where Leeds could make their biggest upgrade
Tomas Soucek may be one of the smartest signings available from the relegated market because his strengths directly address Leeds’ weaknesses. The West Ham midfielder scored eight league goals.
Leeds badly need more physicality, leadership and set-piece threat if they are going to survive in the Premier League. Soucek was briefly linked with Leeds and will have plenty of suitors after him.
Florentino Luis could be the ideal midfield protector behind Leeds’ more attacking players. The Burnley midfielder ranked among the club’s leaders for tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries throughout.
Leeds were too easy to play through at times during promotion-winning campaigns, and Florentino would directly address that problem. The former Benfica star is another player previously linked.
Leeds also need greater firepower to survive
Zian Flemming showed enough during Burnley’s relegation season to suggest he can contribute in the Premier League with better service around him. The Dutch forward combined physicality with intelligent movement while contributing key goals in difficult circumstances.
Leeds cannot rely entirely on Joel Piroe across a full Premier League season. Flemming would give Farke another striker capable of holding the ball up while also attacking crosses aggressively.
Castellanos is the perfect kind of striker to go alongside DCL, isn’t he? 🔥
Taty Castellanos may be the most ambitious option on this list, but West Ham’s relegation changes the market completely. Again, Leeds battled West Ham for Castellanos’ signature and have looked before.
Castellanos would bring mobility, pressing intensity and relentless running to Leeds’ frontline. Those qualities make him an obvious stylistic fit for a side preparing to spend large periods without the ball.
Leeds cannot afford another summer built purely on potential if they want to survive after promotion. West Ham, Wolves and Burnley may have gone down, but their squads still contain the kind of Premier League-ready quality Leeds now desperately need.
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