Jacob Raw

Sat 28 March 2026 16:40, UK

Leeds United and the 49ers may be forced into unwanted expenditure this summer if the Whites survive Premier League relegation, but see one of West Ham or Tottenham go down.

The 49ers were already stretched this winter after spending around £100million in the summer on improvements to Daniel Farke’s team.

But as seen in the results of this campaign, some of the best recruitment has come in the form of low price, or even free transfers.

The problem is that with West Ham and Tottenham being arguably the two biggest clubs in the relegation battle, in terms of finances, it may scare other relegation survivors into spending more this summer.

Leeds didn’t have the funds to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen in the winter, and that could be a wider example of what the Whites face, if these circumstances occur when it’s all said and done this season.

This is why clubs will spend more this summer; Leeds may be stretched

Leeds have been uncomfortably flirting with breaching PSR rules recently, as the 49ers always have to carefully assess their internal financial decisions.

The feeling is that the Whites already won’t be able to spend as much as they did last summer this time around, which, of course, only really matters if they stay up.

Though they are punching above their weight again this season, clubs like Bournemouth, Brentford, Fulham and even Crystal Palace always seem to be in a relegation fight every other season.

But they never seem to spend a lot of money, focusing on their transfer strategy, which could be thrown out the window this summer.

The 49ers could be set for some extra millions with the permanent exits of a few stars who are currently out on loan.

However, as seen in the winter window, funds are scarce, and a spike in spending could be their biggest nightmare if they manage to stay up.

What is the best-case scenario for Leeds?

West Ham are the side currently in the relegation zone, but Leeds are only four points behind them with seven games to go.

Tottenham’s loss to Nottingham Forest now makes them and the Hammers the third and fourth favourites to be relegated at this stage, which, as explained, isn’t great for Leeds.

Obviously, the Whites won’t care if they stay up, but it’s something that the 49ers may look back on this time next season, if Leeds are struggling down the bottom end again.

But overall, the best thing is for Nottingham Forest to go down, because if anything, they are the prime example of how splashing the cash doesn’t always buy you safety in the Premier League.