Leeds United have had an ambitious summer transfer window so far, with the signing of Harry Wilson on a free transfer and the arrival of Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo in a £34million deal. The Whites then broke their transfer record to bring in England goalkeeper James Trafford from Manchester City in a deal that could reach £45m. However, it is clear that Leeds still want to do more business before the transfer window slams shut next month. Wednesday's pre-season friendly with Manchester United, which ended in a 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat after a 1-1 draw in Dublin, highlighted some areas that need attention. And Leeds boss Daniel Farke was asked about the Whites' next priorities in the window over the coming weeks.
Leeds' line-up included a couple of surprises, with Sebastiaan Bornauw starting despite rumours he is off to join Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Youngster Rhys Chadwick-Chaplin also started at left wing-back with Gabriel Gudmundsson not fit to play. When Willy Gnonto entered the fray, he also played predominantly as a wing-back. Farke was asked about what's next for Leeds in the transfer window, particularly if he still has a desire to sign more attackers. Farke said: "We will see. It's also like on the wings. There's also a little bit, and yes, defensive-wise, goalkeeper-wise. So let's see what." He added about the window in general: "I spoke quite openly about wanting James Trafford since weeks and months, and even before this transfer window, we've tried also in the past - and he's there, so that's I think a major step up. We spoke about that we want to add some quality also in the offense. We got a free transfer with Harry Wilson with experience on this level. Outstanding numbers last season. I think this is good. Yes, there are some obvious positions where I think we need to do a bit more. You could see today [vs Man Utd] with the line-up a few positions, I was also struggling to cover with specialists. But this is also no secret. I won't speak too much about the positions in public because this will just raise the prices anyhow. So I'm hopeful that we'll also do a bit more till the transfer windows."
It is well known that Leeds would particularly like to bring some attacking reinforcement before the transfer window closes. Lyon's Czech Republic international Pavel Sulc has been predominantly linked, and did not play against Sparta Prague on Tuesday - officially due to knee inflammation. Marseille ace Igor Paxiao, who Leeds wanted to sign from Feyenoord last summer, is also said to be on their radar, though it looks a tough deal to complete. Liam Delap of Chelsea has also been tentatively linked, but thus far nothing has materialised into anything concrete.
Leeds United are currently 14th in the Premier League, with 47 points from 38 games, 11 wins, 14 draws, and 13 losses. They are 38 points behind leaders Arsenal and have scored 49 goals while conceding 56. The team is currently without Gabriel Gudmundsson and Mateo Joseph due to injury. As the transfer window draws to a close, it is not yet clear what other signings Leeds United will make.
