Leeds United’s summer transfer window is only a month away from starting again.
However, between now and then, Leeds still has a lot of work to do to choose which division they’ll play in next season.
The Whites meet Norwich City in the second leg of their Championship semi-final on Thursday, and a win would put them within 90 minutes of returning to the Premier League.
If Leeds were to get promoted, they would face a far more intriguing summer as they seek to create a squad capable of retaining the club’s top-flight status.
A loss against the Canaries, or even at Wembley, would condemn Leeds to a second consecutive season of Championship football, which the 49ers have already admitted would result in significant sales.
These would be necessary to comply with PSR requirements and offset some of the £190 million owing in unpaid transfer instalments, which could explain why Leeds were so quiet in January.
Leeds escaped a major transfer bullet in Calvin Ramsay.
Leeds’ only goal for the winter window was to bolster their right-back position, which they eventually accomplished in the final hour of deadline day.
Following several ties to various players, Connor Roberts was eventually signed on loan from Burnley. Ben Johnson, Neco Williams, and Ben Godfrey were just a few of the purported targets.
There were others, as well, and Leeds will undoubtedly feel fortunate to have avoided one of them in Liverpool defender Calvin Ramsay.
Leeds were connected with Ramsay back in 2022, when he was still at Aberdeen, but the Scotsman chose a £6.5 million transfer to Liverpool instead.
Following an injury-plagued first season, he spent the majority of this season on loan with Preston North End, prompting Liverpool to recall him.
Leeds were among the clubs interested in signing him in January, but he ultimately joined League One play-off finalists Bolton Wanderers, where he has experienced another dreadful period.
Ramsay has not kicked a ball since mid-February and has only played 67 minutes of football. He’s only been in the squad twice in the last 16 games, with no reports of an injury.
Those statistics alone suggest that he would not have been a good fit for Leeds. Given his youth and inexperience, he won’t have contributed much to the locker room.
Roberts was the ideal candidate for Leeds.
Roberts may have only started two Championship games for Leeds since his arrival, but he was clearly the ideal choice to replace Luke Ayling and Djed Spence.
According to Joe Rodon, Roberts quickly established himself as an important member of the Leeds dressing room, and much of this is due to his experience.
However, he has had an impact on the pitch as well. He scored the game-tying goal against Leicester City and assisted in Huddersfield Town’s draw.
A young player like Ramsay would not have been able to provide what Roberts has.
