Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Thu 21 May 2026 12:40, UK

Leeds United must be aiming for further progress in the coming years after witnessing Aston Villa’s incredible scenes in Istanbul.

For the second year running, a Premier League side triumphed in the Europa League, with Villa beating Freiburg 3-0 in the final.

Across the country, the West Midlands outfit are a club to emulate, having continued to move through the gears since Unai Emery’s arrival in 2022, to the point where they are now regular contenders at the top end of the table.

Following Leeds’ ascent to the top flight last May, they have taken to the division like a duck to water, securing survival with three games to spare.

Their sights must now be set on Europe – something that is hardly out of the question given how tight the league has been this year.

England continue to lead the way in Europe – Leeds could benefit

Without taking anything away from the incredible achievement, it came as no surprise to see Villa topple Freiburg given the relative financial disparity between the two sides.

A symptom of the Premier League’s financial dominance in the current era is the fact that the division has the ability to hoover up talent from across the globe, with English sides now handed the immediate tag of favourites ahead of any Europa League, or Conference League season.

And since the UEFA format change in 2024, the disparity on show has been remarkable.

In previous years, the likes of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and even seven-time winners Sevilla, have dropped down into the Europa League after finishing third in their respective Champions League group.

With this now a thing of the past, English sides are facing off against opposition with a fraction of the budget – offering a realistic shot at silverware to whoever qualifies, including Crystal Palace, who take on Rayo Vallecano in next week’s Conference League final.

As per Capology, Palace’s total salary expenditure for 2025-26 sits at just over £76million without bonuses, compared to the £29m of their opponents.

This gap was even larger between Villa and Freiburg, with £143m and £47m, while the Villans have spent double on transfers in three and a half years than what Freiburg have in their entire history.

The same site reports that Leeds’ figures sit at around £57m, with the number surely set to rise following a season in the Premier League.

While the conditions are not exactly favourable for sides across Europe, the simple fact of the matter is that any English side in and around the race for Europe, will sniff an incredibly realistic chance of silverware should they qualify.

How soon can Leeds join Europe-chasing pack?

While transfer fees do play a part in deciding the pecking order of football, wage expenditure is often the biggest factor.

After spending time in the Premier League, clubs are able to operate more freely in this regard – something that will come to Leeds after a season of settling down in the division.

And with how tight the league has been this term, it is not too much to say that the Whites could well be amongst the pack chasing continental football next season, with Daniel Farke’s recent bullish comments signalling this intent.

The German no doubt watched on with a little jealously at the scenes in Istanbul on Wednesday night.

Any side who reaches Europe is now an automatic contender for silverware.

This cannot be something that Leeds ignore as they progress up the standings.

Alongside the dominance in the competitions themselves, the Premier League also dominates the number of positions granted, with the potential for almost half the league to be involved next season.

The battle for Europe is no longer a closed shop, and this should be on Leeds’ list of goals in the coming seasons, if not next, given just how tight this area of the league has remained throughout the campaign.