49ers’ first full summer transfer window reviewed as Leeds United make potentially glaring blunder

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Having only taken over in mid-July last year, this was 49ers Enterprises’ first full summer transfer window as majority shareholders of Leeds United.

Given the seemingly never ending loan clauses, need to appoint a new manager, and long wait for EFL approval, the 49ers certainly had more leeway in the eyes of Leeds supporters last summer.

However, there were no such excuses this time around and so every decision made this time around ultimately comes under their watch.

After a busy last week, Leeds ended the window with eight new signings, in what has been a bigger rebuild than initially expected.

That is because, inclusive of Luis Sinisterra’s permanent move to Bournemouth, Leeds have let go of an incredible 21 players over the course of the summer.

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49ers’ first full summer window at Leeds reviewed

Not only was this the 49ers’ first full summer, but it was also the first window Leeds’ newly built recruitment team have had the chance to work together.

Gretar Steinsson, Nick Hammond and Jordan Miles have all been brought in to work closely with Daniel Farke over the last 12 months, and they have certainly taken an interesting route with new signings.

First of all, everyone involved have to be praised for the way Leeds’ financial situation looks a whole lot healthier. Just over £143 million has been raised in sales, which should stand the club in good stead going forward.

Unfortunately, that has come at the cost of losing key trio Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Georginio Rutter and the way those exits were handled were of particular frustration.

The official statement announcing Gray’s departure stated it would help keep some of their other key players, but with Summerville and Rutter both then following him out of the exit door, clearly that was not the case and Leeds have a lot to answer for as to why they would say that.

It was also pretty tiresome to see them shift the blame onto Rutter by claiming he was ‘persistent and adamant’ in his desire to leave.

Leeds did try tempt him into staying by offering him a new deal, but by that point it was too little too late.

Considering Brighton’s first bid came several weeks before activating his release clause, they could’ve tried doing that much earlier if they had genuine intentions of keeping him.

Leeds fans have also been left with a slight feeling of underwhelm at the way they have been replaced. Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon and Ao Tanaka all look like good signings, but each of those transfers do have an element of risk attached.

Solomon spent almost the entirety of last season injured, while Ramazani and Tanaka are, of course, coming into a new league and new country, so will need time to settle.

The sly dig at supporters in the official Solomon statement saying their, ‘deliberate strategy of remaining patient in the transfer window has paid dividends’, was also a strange move given ultimately, they failed to make the most important signing.

Farke made his desire for another number 10 clear in his pre-Hull City press conference on Thursday and for whatever reason, Leeds did not get one.

Talks were held with both Gustavo Hamer and Roland Sallai over potential moves to Elland Road, with a £13 million bid even submitted for the latter.

Even just one of those would’ve taken the window from a 6/10 to potentially an eight or nine, and given the money was there to spend, it is disappointing at least one of them didn’t sign.

Leeds are now without a natural replacement for arguably last season’s most important player in Rutter, and only time will tell how costly, or not, that proves to be.

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