Leeds United fans watched on as manager Daniel Farke and his recruitment team tried, and spectacularly failed, to sign any new players on deadline day.
At one point earlier in the summer, Leeds United were making real progress. And it all seemed to come to a kind of climax with the pursuit of Igor Paixao.
But in the end, Marseille won the race to sign Paixao, and Leeds’ summer transfer window seemed a bit mismatched and chaotic after that.
Signing Paixao would’ve made the window a hugely successful one, no matter who arrived afterwards. But despite Leeds United signing 10 new players this summer, there’s a sense of disappointment around the whole window.
It comes after a disastrous deadline day. Leeds United made a late push to sign Harry Wilson before the window slammed shut at 7pm, but in the end, Farke ended the day without an 11th signing.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesDaniel Farke has been let down, he’s already predicted Leeds United’s fate
Speaking at the end of last season when Leeds United won the Championship title on the final day of the season, Farke looked ahead to the summer transfer window just gone. Farke made his first demand of the Leeds United owners right away, calling for ambition in the transfer market.
The German said: “We want to become an established Premier League side but lots of work is needed, lots of ambition is needed, but we’ll worry about the stress in a few days. The next few days, we’ll just enjoy the moment and celebrate.”
Soon after, Farke said Leeds United needed ‘top-class decisions’ in the transfer window, explaining: “We won’t speak about the Premier League for the next few days… but this club needs a perfect summer and top-class decisions.”
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Unfortunately for Farke and Leeds United, there weren’t enough ‘top-class decisions’ this summer. Whilst the 49ers and chairman Paraag Marathe spent well, with Leeds spending £100million on new players in the end, it arguably wasn’t enough.
Another argument is that the money should’ve been spent on fewer players, but more quality players. £100million could’ve bought Leeds a handful of real star quality players and Farke could then have used loan and free agent signings to further bolster his side.
In the end, Leeds didn’t sign a single player on loan, with two players in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha arriving for free.
Looking at some of the players Burnley have signed this summer, and watching Sunderland spend £160million on some quality new signings, it’s now looking like Leeds United have had the worst window of the three promoted teams.
The road to January could certainly be a long one for Farke and Leeds United.