‘Daniel Farke desperate’ as Leeds chase major Newcastle double deal
Daniel Farke is eager to bring in some Premier League experience this summer, as Leeds look to become the first promoted team in two years to stay up.
Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United all had swift returns to the Championship in 2023/24, with Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton suffering the same fate this season.
The Elland Road outfit are back in the top-flight after a two-year hiatus, and will expect to push for survival after being promoted as champions.
Football Insider revealed last week (7 May) that Leeds will have a budget of £150million to spend when the window opens next month.
With that kind of funding available, Farke will hope that he is able to majorly improve his squad over the summer.
Leeds target Newcastle duo
The Yorkshire side are seemingly looking to get on with their business quickly, and Leeds have already been linked with Vladimir Coufal.
The Whites also seem to be plotting a raid of Champions League-bound Newcastle, with two players on their radar.
As reported by the Sun (16 May), Leeds are interested in bringing both Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff to Elland Road.
Wilson, who has yet to score this season in the Premier League, is out-of-contract this summer, so would be available on a free transfer.
His Magpies team-mate Longstaff is entering the final 12 months of his deal at St James’ Park, and could add some depth to Farke’s midfield.
Leeds well-placed to compete
At the top of the Championship, Leeds and Burnley were clear of the rest, and made their superiority count by gaining automatic promotion.
Both sides finished on 100 points and Farke’s side were by far and away the league’s top scorers with 95 goals, which was over 20 more than any other team.
| Team | Goals Scored |
| Leeds | 95 |
| Norwich | 71 |
| Burnley | 69 |
It is well known how difficult it is for teams coming up from the second tier, and the Yorkshire side will be under no illusions that they are up against it in terms of avoiding relegation.
Farke will remain at Leeds for their Premier League campaign, with rumours that he would be sacked despite winning promotion quelled.
The former Norwich manager has a talented squad to work with, but will clearly need some additions to compete for survival.
With the funds that he should have at his disposal, it would be no surprise to see Leeds bucking the trend and maintaining their top-flight status for longer than a single year.