{"id":550563,"date":"2025-11-05T11:26:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T11:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/550563\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T11:26:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T11:26:15","slug":"leeds-united-psr-myth-rubbished-as-sunderland-comparison-doesnt-hold-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/550563\/","title":{"rendered":"Leeds United PSR myth rubbished as Sunderland comparison doesn’t hold water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Leeds United fans have become even more jealous of Sunderland after their owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus\u2019 comments this week \u2013 but the spending comparison between the two clubs doesn\u2019t hold water, says financial expert Adam Williams.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Panic is beginning to set in with some sections of Leeds United<\/a> supporters, who saw the limp 3-0 defeat to Brighton<\/a> on Saturday and concluded the season will end in relegation.<\/p>\n

Daniel Farke\u2019s<\/a> side had made a decent start to life in the Premier League<\/a> but, as they have started to look toothless in attack, Leeds have been blown away by fellow promoted side Sunderland.<\/p>\n

Regis Le Bris\u2019 side sit fourth in the table,<\/a> having lost just twice in 10 games, while Leeds have lost half of their fixtures and sit 16th.<\/p>\n

Sunderland splashed out over \u00a3180m on 14 new players in the summer, including marquee additions Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey, not to mention beating Leeds to Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki.<\/a><\/p>\n

Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said this week that Sunderland aimed to do something \u2018extraordinary\u2019 in the transfer window<\/a> and wouldn\u2019t be limited by a budget, comments that left Leeds fans seething with jealousy.<\/p>\n

Yet, finance expert Adam Williams has explained to Leeds United News<\/strong> why Leeds would not have been able to match the Black Cats\u2019 spending power.<\/p>\n

\"ClosePhoto by Michael Driver\/MI News\/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesSunderland had much more PSR headroom than Leeds United in the transfer window<\/p>\n

Football finance expert Williams told Leeds United News:<\/strong> \u201cLeeds United certainly didn\u2019t have carte blanche to spend whatever they wanted over the summer. <\/p>\n

MORE LEEDS UNITED STORIES<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were limited by PSR, which dictates that they can\u2019t lose any more than \u00a361m across 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven that they lost almost exactly \u00a361m in 2023-24 alone, you can see how they don\u2019t exactly have ample headroom, even though PSR-allowable deductions for infrastructure, academy investment and so on got them within the threshold for the three-year period up to the end of that season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey trimmed costs last season and made significant player sale profits, but they were still in a position where they couldn\u2019t afford to bet the farm on staying up. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey could have spent more, though \u2013 and it\u2019s not true that they maxed out their PSR quota because it\u2019s not a binary under-over situation, at least not until the season is over.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy contrast, Sunderland had probably more PSR headroom than just about any promoted club in history when they came up. And in their case, they couldn\u2019t really afford not to spend well over \u00a3100m net. The squad needed it. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd let\u2019s not forget that Leeds have spent considerably as well. On a net basis, there\u2019s not that much between the two sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

The real annoyance for Leeds fans comes from Robbie Evans claiming the club maxed out their PSR,<\/a> even though the club failed in attempts to sign Facundo Buonanotte and Harry Wilson<\/a> before the window closed.<\/p>\n

Evans also suggested the club would rather not spend in January,<\/a> but those plans might have to change if things don\u2019t improve on the pitch.<\/p>\n

Leeds United\u2019s summer spending compared with Sunderland<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how Sunderland and Leeds\u2019 transfer spending in the summer<\/a> compares.<\/p>\n

Leeds United signings<\/p>\n