Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Tue 2 June 2026 14:10, UK

Leeds United spent the majority of last summer tracking Bilal El Khannouss, following an impressive season with Leicester City.

The Foxes would drop out of the Premier League just a year on from promotion, with the Moroccan being a shining light in an otherwise dismal season.

Following Leicester’s relegation to the Championship, the Whites would spend the summer chasing the 22-year-old, with a handful of other top flight clubs interested.

Instead, he would join Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart on deadline day – joining on loan with an option to buy.

And with the loan now made permanent for a bargain £14.6million fee, Leeds will be among those wondering just what went wrong.

Leeds made to pay as Bilal El Khannouss hailed following excellent Stuttgart campaign

Joining Leicester from Genk following their ascent back to the top flight, El Khannouss would register three goals and seven assists in a struggling side.

Just 20 at the time, he would attract attention across the division, before Stuttgart eventually bit the bullet and secured his signature.

His numbers do not stand out as incredible from the off, though his overall impact at the Neckarstadion has been fantastic, while the system revolves around creating for top goalscorer Deniz Undav, who scored 25 times and laid on 14 assists.

Outside of Undav, the goals are more spread out, with widemen Chris Führich and Jamie Leweling netting seven times, while backup striker Ermedin Demirovic notched 12 league goals.

Last Monday, the South German outfit confirmed the permanent signing of El Khannouss for a bargain fee of just £14.6m – a far cry from the £35m price tag banded about for the majority of last summer.

STOP THAT BILAL EL KHANNOUSS. 🇲🇦😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Rlb3uMCDWI

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) April 23, 2026

Following the announcement, Stuttgart sporting director Fabian Wohlgemuth would say: “In the season just ended, Bilal excelled across all competitions in a VfB shirt and has established himself at a young age as one of the lynchpins of the Moroccan national team.

“Bilal already has exceptional footballing skills, but at the same time, we see further scope for development. As such, we’re convinced that he’s not yet reached his full potential.”

Alongside the likes of Crystal Palace and Tottenham, Leeds had an interest in the attacking midfielder last summer, and will be watching on, wondering just how he was allowed to move for such a small fee.

Leeds United have a clear recruitment direction after Premier League success

Ascending to the top flight last May, Daniel Farke’s side would take to the league like a duck to water.

Continuing to grow as the season progressed, the West Yorkshire outfit would secure survival with games to spare.

This came as a result of strong recruitment last summer, with Leeds the only side in the Premier League to bring in players solely over the age of 25.

The Whites had an experienced core, while those brought in were able to provide an immediate impact – particularly as they racked up an incredible record at Elland Road.

Now, the goal will be to continue adding to this already strong core with younger talent who will grow with the team, as Leeds look to future-proof the side.

After failing to build on the early success of the previous top-flight stint, the Whites know they must avoid a similar fate.

El Khannouss is a player out of view for Leeds now, but attracting talent to progress with the team in the coming years has to be the aim, after their recruitment served them well last summer.