The retained list offered little information that was not already expected as Leeds United prepare for a big summer ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season. Priorities remain the same.
Josuha Guilavogui is leaving but that was expected to be the case, anyway. Junior Firpo and Sam Byram could still sign new deals while Manor Solomon has returned to Tottenham, for the time being anyway.
It means that the priorities remain the same for the club’s new sporting director Adam Underwood and the head of recruitment, Alex Davies. One of those will be to bring in a new goalkeeper at Elland Road.
Illan Meslier is expected to depart with his contract ending in 2026, while Karl Darlow should revert to his previous status as the club’s back-up option. That is because, Leeds are expected to sign a goalkeeper.
£16m Leeds target wins Player of the Season before heartbreak
Strasbourg have enjoyed a marvellous season under the guidance of manager Liam Rosenior, who was harshly sacked at the end of the 2023-24 campaign by Hull City. Champions League was on the horizon.
The final round of Ligue 1 fixtures took place on Saturday, and Strasbourg needed a home win over struggling Le Havre to qualify for the Champions League. But they suffered a 3-2 home defeat last night.
It not only saw Strasbourg miss out on the Champions League, but European competition as a whole. A dismal night for the club, but it means £16m Leeds target Djordje Petrovic will now be tempted to go.
Had Strasbourg qualified, Petrovic may have been tempted to sign permanently from Chelsea after a glittering season that has seen him win his club’s Player of the Season award. Now, he will surely leave.
Even if he wanted to remain, without Champions League money – or any European competition’s money – Strasbourg will struggle to afford him. The French club’s Player of the Season will surely be on his way.
Djordje Petrovic’s stunning 2024-25 campaign in numbers
It has been a remarkable season for Strasbourg, who beat Leeds in the race for Andrew Omobamidele in January, the man to concede a last-minute penalty that saw Le Havre secure a 3-2 win on Saturday.
But for Petrovic, a breakthrough season having struggled to make an impression at Chelsea following his move from the MLS. An impressive 10 clean sheets clocked up in just 31 Ligue 1 appearances this term.
| Name | Club | Games | Minutes | Clean Sheets | Goals | Save % | Minutes per goal |
| Djordje Petrovic | Strasbourg | 31 | 2790 | 10 | 38 | 74.5 | 90 |
That percentage of saving 74.5% of shots faced is the second best in Ligue 1, according to FotMob. It is little surprise then, that Leeds want Petrovic as do German giants Bayer Leverkusen, this summer.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
