Leeds United already have one big priority to sort out in the summer transfer window

Add as preferred source on Google

Victor Orta placed a lot of emphasis on academy recruitment during his time at Leeds United.

Orta was rightly sacked from his role as sporting director at Leeds back in May, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was building a strong squad for the U21s.

At one stage during Leeds’ time in the Premier League, they had an U21s side that consisted of Crysencio Summerville, Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Cody Drameh, Lewis Bate and more.

Those players have now either moved on or are in the first team at Leeds, but over the last 12 months there has been no one signed to come in and replace them.

During the first half of this season, Leeds still had Darko Gyabi, Sean McGurk, Leo Hjelde and Bate all playing for the U21s. While it was the right move to let them leave and go play regular football, those departures have been reflected in the results.

Leeds need big U21s recruitment drive this summer

Leeds’ U21s have lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions, two of which they have conceded seven goals in. They are 20th in a 26 team Premier League 2, with all three of their wins coming in the first four matches of the season.

Looking at Leeds’ most recent U21s starting line-up, there isn’t really anyone who looks close to progressing into the first team anytime soon. Rewind a couple of years back and there was so much excitement about who could be the next to come up and make their debut.

That said, from that exciting aforementioned crop of players, it is only really looking like Summerville who will properly make it at Leeds. Gelhardt, Cresswell, Greenwood, Drameh have all had brief runs in the first team at some point, but either have already, or will have to, leave in order to play regular senior football.

So although that team wasn’t as successful as it perhaps should’ve been, they are all going to go on and have good careers, most likely in the top two divisions of English football.

With all that said, Leeds now simply have to get back to recruiting heavily for the U21s again in the summer or face having an academy that shows no sign of producing talent ready for the first team.