Leeds United will celebrate promotion back to the Premier League and the immediate focus remains on the final two games of the Championship – but behind the scenes, Leeds need to get to work.
The Whites secured a place in the Premier League at the second time of asking on Easter Monday after a 6-0 win over Stoke City at Elland Road, before Sheffield United were beaten by Burnley at Turf Moor.
It has confirmed both Leeds and Burnley as Premier League clubs for the 2024-25 campaign. Both sides are on 94 points and the only thing left to do is fight for the Championship title, though less important.
Paraag Marathe delivered a promotion statement after Daniel Farke guided The Whites to the top tier. Marathe praised Farke, but also said work had been put in behind the scenes in the event of promoton.
Leeds touted with two Premier League no.9’s to replace Joel Piroe
If watching Leeds for the first time on Monday, those would think that Joel Piroe is the perfect man to lead the line in the Premier League. Piroe cost Leeds £16m in 2023, and sits top of the goal rankings.
But that is not the whole story. While he may have scored 19 Championship goals and laid on five more in assists, the Dutchman often goes missing and prior to the win over Stoke, had failed to score in nine.
Leeds need to replace Piroe to stand any chance of survival in the Premier League next season and the Independent have touted two England internationals as signings – Dom Calvert-Lewin and Danny Ings.
The Everton and West Ham strikers are both out of contract in June and will be available on free transfers. While both injury prone, the Independent suggests they are options and Leeds could take a look.
Are Calvert-Lewin and Ings any different from Patrick Bamford?
Calvert-Lewin is obviously a player of pedigree and has been linked with huge-money moves in the past. But he’s managed just 17 Premier League goals in the last four years, with the striker riddled by injury.
Ings meanwhile, has managed just four Premier League goals in the last three seasons. Leeds already have an injury prone England international as an option up front, in the form of no.9 Patrick Bamford.
Danny Ings, Dom Calvert-Lewin and Patrick Bamford’s Premier League form compared:
| Name | Clubs | Games | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Minutes per G+A |
| Danny Ings | Burnley Southampton Liverpool Aston Villa West Ham | 240 | 14459 | 72 | 24 | 150.6 |
| Patrick Bamford | Palace Norwich Burnley Middlesbrough Leeds | 102 | 5815 | 24 | 12 | 161.5 |
| Dom Calvert-Lewin | Everton | 235 | 15731 | 57 | 16 | 215.5 |
Do Leeds really need to risk signing another injury-prone centre-forward this summer, or would Farke and Leeds be better-advised looking afar and spending a bit of cash to sign a striker yet to reach their peak.
It will be interesting to see how The 49ers approach it. Indeed, Leeds’ owners want six new signings and more than £100m is expected to be spent – but signing injury-prone strikers past their best seems unwise.
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