Leeds United have splashed the cash in the transfer window but how does their spending compare to their likely Premier League relegation rivals in the coming season?
The 2025-26 Premier League season will soon get underway and Leeds United will have a task on their hands to stay up.
All three promoted sides have been sent back down again immediately in the last two seasons and, as Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton proved last term, spending big doesn’t guarantee safety.
Leeds have enjoyed a strong transfer window so far with seven new recruits, though their work is far from over yet.
Daniel Farke isn’t the only newly promoted manager to be spending heavily, either, with Sunderland and Burnley bringing in a lot of players as well.
Here’s how Leeds’ transfer spend compares to their fellow top-flight newcomers and the sides they could be locked in a relegation battle with.
- Every player linked with Leeds in the transfer window: Latest fees and news on Daniel Farke’s targets
Leeds United signings compared to Sunderland, Burnley and Brentford
The three promoted sides are bound to be battling for survival, but other sides will be looking over their shoulders next season.
Brentford are everybody’s dark horses to struggle after replacing Thomas Frank with the inexperienced Keith Andrews and losing Bryan, Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and possibly Yoane Wissa.
West Ham are yet to shine under Graham Potter and have lost their best player in Mohammed Kudus without replacing him so far.
Wolves and Everton, meanwhile, perpetually flirt with relegation and are likely to spend some time in and around the bottom three.
Here’s how Leeds and their major relegation rivals’ spending compares so far:
| Leeds United | Sunderland | Burnley | Wolves | Brentford | West Ham | Everton |
| Anton Stach – £17.4m (rising to £19.9m) | Granit Xhaka – £17.3m | Kyle Walker – £5m | Fer Lopez – £21.3m | Michael Kayode – £14m | Jean-Clair Todibo – £35m | Charly Alcaraz – £12m |
| Sebastiaan Bornauw – £5.1m | Simon Adingra – £20.5m | Loum Tchaouna – £12m | Jorgen Strand Larsen – £23m | Romelle Donovan – £3m | Daniel Cmmings – Free | Thierno Barry – £27m |
| Lukas Nmecha – Free | Habib Diarra – £30m | Aexal Tuanzebe – Free | Jhon Arias – £15m | Caoimhin Kelleher – £18m | El Hadji Malick Diouf – £19m | Mark Travers – £4m |
| Jaka Bijol – £15m | Enzo Le Fee – £20m | Quilindschy Hartman – £7.7m | David Moller Wolfe – £10m | Antoni Milambo – £18.8m | Kyle Walker-Peters – Free | Adam Aznou – £10m |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson – £10m | Noah Sadiki – £17.5m | Bashir Humphrey – £10m | Jordan Henderson – Free | Callum Wilson – Free | ||
| Sean Longstaff – £12m (rising to £15m) | Reinildo Mandava – Free | Jaidon Anthony – £8m | ||||
| Lucas Perri – £13.9m (rising to £15.6m) | Chemsdine Talbi – £19m | Marcus Edwards – £8.5m | ||||
| Robin Roefs – £11.5m | Zian Flemming – £7m | |||||
| Max Weiss – £4.2m | ||||||
| Jacob Bruun Larsen – £3.5m | ||||||
| Total: £73.4m (rising to £80.6m) | Total: £135.8m | Total: £65.9m | Total: £69.3m | Total: £53.8m | Total: £54m | Total: £52m |
Sunderland are by far and away the biggest spenders of the likely clubs to be in relegation contention, with the Black Cats showing big ambition as they reinvest the money from the sales of Jobe Bellingham and Tom Watson.
The signing of Granit Xhaka is particularly eye-catching, as well as beating Leeds to Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki.
Though it’s nearly half of what Sunderland have spent, Leeds are the second biggest spenders of the seven clubs.
Burnley have recruited a lot of players on the cheap but many of their signings are just making loan deals from last season permanent, with not much actual strengthening of the squad.
Brentford, Everton and West Ham haven’t strengthened much at all and could find themselves in trouble, which is good news for Leeds.
Who else should Leeds United sign in summer transfer window?
Leeds have solved troubled positions like goalkeeper, centre-back and midfield already this summer, while massively improving the height and physicality of Farke’s squad.
However, with less than a month of the window remaining, there’s a lot of work to do to enhance the manager’s attacking options.
Farke said his squad isn’t good enough going forward for the Premier League following the 1-1 draw with Villarreal, and Leeds need a winger, playmaker and striker in through the door at least.
After missing out on Igor Paixao, Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss appears to be the next top forward target but Leeds face stiff competition.
Elsewhere, Rodrigo Muniz remains the No.1 choice for up front but there has been little progress made on that front for some time.
Leeds have made good progress in the window but they must end it strongly.
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