Leeds United rarely sign new players in January. It’s almost become a tradition now, a little bit like when Harry Redknapp used to hang out the driver’s side of his Range Rover to talk to Sky Sports every deadline day. But for Leeds fans, this is no laughing matter.
The club is currently in an intense race for automatic promotion against Burnley and Sheffield United, so the expectation was that 49ers Enterprises would make some key signings in January to ensure Leeds get over the finish line come May.
However, the 49ers chose not to open their wallets. This was despite Daniel Farke’s repeated requests for a centre-back, natural number 10, and striker. For now, it looks like the German’s wishlist will remain on hold until the summer. Should all of this be making Leeds fans panic? Not yet.
It’s clear the owners are holding fire to save money for a big summer transfer window. Once the summer window opens, serious money can be spent bringing in Premier League-tier quality. At the same time, players surplus to requirements can be shipped out. From a pure ownership standpoint, it makes total sense.
Nobody at Leeds United — not least the Leeds hierarchy — will want a repeat of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, either. That particular season saw Leeds get relegated on 31 points due to the simple fact they weren’t strong enough in certain areas. This is why there will be a huge push to bolster the squad and get it ‘Premier League ready’ between May and August. It’s certainly a gamble to wait until then — but there’s no reason why it won’t pay off.
Leeds United Are Still Favourites to Win the 2024-25 Championship
Leeds are on their longest unbeaten run for 15 years The club’s 7-0 thumping of Cardiff City leaves them top of the Championship Star players like Manor Solomon are the driving force behind an inspired title chargeDespite major backlash from supporters, there’s a case to be made that Leeds have actually made the right move by not making any January signings. Sure, even just a short-term loan deal for a striker would have been appreciated, but let’s remember that the club is still riding high at the top of the Championship and remains in the middle of its longest unbeaten run for 15 years.
This is why most bookies have Leeds as 2/9 favourites to win the Championship. If you use the BettingTools free calculator, it shows that a £10 bet on Leeds to do this returns £12.22, which is a relatively safe bet at this stage. And if either Burnley or Sheffield United suddenly experience a blip, Leeds would have one hand on the trophy.
What’s most impressive about Leeds is the club has held onto its momentum following the start of the new year. Traditionally, it’s a time when promotion favourites sometimes start dropping points, but the Whites seem to have learnt their lesson from last season. The Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final loss against Southampton now serves as a distant reminder that nothing is ever guaranteed in the Championship, even when you look certain to go up.
There’s no need for Leeds fans to be paranoid, though. All signs point to automatic promotion being secured in the near future if the likes of Manor Solomon, Dan James and Jayden Bogle can maintain the excellent form they’ve been in this season. Since overcoming his injury woes, Manor Solomon in particular has been brilliant during his season-long loan from Tottenham. Come the end of the season, Leeds will be desperate to sign him on a permanent deal if they do indeed go up.
Of course, automatic promotion won’t be plain sailing for Leeds. Perhaps the biggest concern of all is Sheffield United, who are fresh off a very active January transfer window that saw them bring in Tom Cannon, Hamza Choudhury, and several other key names. Blades boss Chris Wilder is clearly fired up and ready to chase Leeds right down to the wire, so there is slight cause for concern if his new signings hit the ground running.
On top of this, Leeds are short of depth in the 9 and 10 positions. Again, not bringing in short-term options in these positions during January could come back to bite Leeds, but the fact that Patrick Bamford is almost fully recovered from his injury nightmare will likely have played a role in the Leeds hierarchy refusing to buy a new striker.
Between now and May, Daniel Farke will just have to hope that any further injuries can be avoided, as injuries to key areas could lead to him relying on wingers and youth players, something he will no doubt be looking to avoid with Burnley and Sheffield United breathing down his neck.