MOT View: The biggest problem for Leeds United in this transfer window isn’t cash
The summer transfer window was always going to be challenging. The Coronavirus outbreak meant the 19/20 season went on for a full year, with European competitions still being played.
The new Premier League season starts on September 12, which means some players won’t even get proper breaks.
It’s a massive summer for Leeds. The squad doesn’t need full-blown surgery and we think that the line-up for the first game could be very similar to the one that smashed Charlton 4-0 in the last game of the Championship.
However, there are areas that need strengthening. A new striker and a new centre-back are essentials.
Patrick Bamford will start the first game in the Premier League but he needs help.
At the back, the concern is more pressing. After losing Ben White to Brighton after his loan expired and Gaetano Berardi to injury, Liam Cooper is the only senior centre-back at the club.
Pascal Struijk was a revelation towards the end of the season but he’s not got the experience to partner Cooper in the Premier League.
Leeds want Ben White back but that doesn’t look like it’s a transfer that’s going to get sorted quickly.
And Leeds can’t afford to wait too long.
Leeds have the money to spend. They’ve already had a bid of £22m rejected for White. And it’s been said that even if they have to pay the £18.5m for Jean-Kevin Augustin, it won’t affect their transfer budget.
The real problem for Leeds this summer is time. Leeds don’t have it and they need things sorting before the Premier League starts.
That’s compounded by the fact that Marcelo Bielsa demands time with his players in pre-season before playing them.
The players are back on Wednesday and anyone not getting a full pre-season is unlikely to start from the off in the Premier League.
It’s why fans are so desperate for news – and that’s only going to get worse when the Premier League fixtures are announced.
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