Sean Longstaff tops Premier League for shock stat, it proves he is Leeds’ best summer signing
Sean Longstaff has been a revelation since he arrived at Leeds United in the summer.
The former Newcastle United star was far from the Whites’ most eye-catching piece of transfer business on paper, but he has already made an invaluable impact on their return to the Premier League.
Longstaff’s importance to Leeds has been clear to see right from the opening weeks of the campaign, and he has now started seven consecutive league games for them, only missing eight minutes of action in that time.
Daniel Farke has been heavily reliant on the Englishman in the middle of the park so far this term, and he has been rewarded with some stunning displays from his new star.
Sean Longstaff tops Premier League charts for big chances created
Longstaff has been integral for Leeds in recent weeks, as he plays a vital role for them at the heart of their midfield, as well as taking a significant portion of their set pieces.
The 27-year-old has been at his energetic and tough-tackling best so far in 2025-26, but he is actually leading the way for a somewhat surprising metric after the opening nine games of the campaign.
Longstaff has created a total of five big chances for his teammates so far this term, a figure which cannot be bettered by any other player throughout the Premier League, according to LUFC Data via their X account.
The likes of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo also sit on five at the moment, as does Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton (Fotmob), but nobody can better Longstaff’s total.
That will be a shock reveal to many fans around the top flight, given that the industrial midfielder is not widely known for his ability to create and unpick defences.
However, it is testament to the influence that he already possesses at Elland Road that he has been able to add a major creative threat to his arsenal after less than 10 games at his new club.
Sean Longstaff is Leeds’ best summer signing
Leeds paid an initial fee of just £12million for Longstaff in the summer, and that already looks to be excellent value for money for the newly-promoted outfit.
They made many more glamorous signings over the summer, but none can match the impact that he has had in the early stages of the season.
| Rank | Player | Tackles per game |
| 1 | Sean Longstaff | 3.0 |
| 2 | Jayden Bogle | 2.9 |
| 3 | Ethan Ampadu | 2.7 |
| 4 | Wilfried Gnonto | 2.3 |
| 5 | Brenden Aaronson | 1.9 |
Longstaff’s creative improvement has been made even more impressive by the fact that his work without the ball hasn’t suffered at all.
His average of three tackles per game is the highest total of anyone in Farke’s squad, and the tireless energy that he provides in the engine room has been key to help drive the team forward recently.
When you factor in the full package that Longstaff has provided for Leeds so far, it is hard to argue that any of their summer investments have delivered better results.
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