Leeds United’s fate has finally been sealed – Premier League football returning to Elland Road – and in some style too.
Even in their wildest dreams, the Leeds United faithful could scarcely have imagined that the half-time pints would taste so sweet.
Two goals ahead inside eight minutes. Four up by 26. By the time Joel Piroe scored his fourth of a remarkable Elland Road afternoon just before the interval, Leeds had one foot and a couple of toes in the Premier League waters already.
Leeds 6-0 Stoke City.
Of course, as the champagne flows, all the focus right now should rightly be fixed upon those who have made a return to the top-flight football a reality.
But, such as the nature of football, it won’t be long before attention shifts to the summer transfer window. Their wallets fattened considerably by promotion, Leeds now have the luxury of aiming at a higher class of transfer target.
More expensive, more ambitious additions, those which would have been well beyond Daniel Farke’s reach had the Yorkshire giants suffered a repeat of last year’s play-off final heartbreak.
Take Edouard Spertsyan, for instance.
The £10 million-rated Krasnodar captain plans to leave the Russian Premier League challengers this summer. Back in February, Spertsyan admitted he was open to joining Leeds United as well. Providing, of course, that Leeds would be going head to head with Manchester City and Liverpool next term, rather than Middlesbrough or Luton.
“Why not?,” Spertsyan said when asked if he would consider a move to Leeds. “They will most likely get into the Premier League, they are in first place.”
“Yes, I want to leave.”
Spertsyan has been labelled ‘one of the best midfielders in Europe’ by one Russian football commentator. The 24-year-old Armenia international is just two goals away from breaking into double figures for a third successive campaign too.
One of a number of high class attacking midfielders identified as potential replacements for the hard-working but inconsistent Brenden Aaronson, Leeds also like Pavel Sulc of Viktoria Plzen, though Alvyn Sanches’ ACL injury could remove him from contention.
“[Leeds] have made an initial approach on the player side to Eduard Spertsyan,” reporter Ben Jacobs told Give Me Sport a couple of months ago. “Nothing is advanced at this point, but he’s a player that Leeds feels can play at the highest level.”
Daniel Farke will celebrate ‘like a fire beast’ when Championship title is secured
Spertsyan would bring an extra dash of guile and creativity in the final third. Though, as a beleaguered Stoke City found out, goalscoring has not been much of an issue for the Championship’s runaway top scorers.
With two games remaining, Leeds have already found the net 12 more times than during their 2020 title-winning campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.
“I normally celebrate with cake and coffee on the sofa because I’m at an age where I’m pretty tired after a game if I’m honest!” a relieved Daniel Farke said on Monday when promotion was secured.
“This league is crazy and I’m just willing to celebrate when it’s just really done.
“This was a major step. If there’s something to celebrate maybe today and one of the next days, believe me, I will be a fire beast! There will be some other drinks. Normally I like to speak about the next training session but I will be the first on the table!
“I think it’s an impressive achievement. To be on 94 points is the best points tally this club has had in any season. 89 goals are right up there too and still two games to play.
“It’s just more or less a reward for what the lads have done this year, outstanding consistency, we’re so hard to beat, scoring goals for fun, creating so many chances. The lads are playing really well and doing really well.
“The most important thing is the position in the league and our biggest aim is to get promoted. We will just celebrate when it’s done. What we have achieved with hard work and proper football is second to none.”
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