Leeds United may well need reinforcements in January to get over the line in the Championship, with some areas of their thin squad already decimated by injuries during the first half of the 2024/25 season.
Leeds made eight new additions to their squad in the summer, and also welcomed back the likes of Max Wöber and Brenden Aaronson. Therefore, Daniel Farke has a squad of around 23 first-team players for their latest promotion push.
Having narrowly missed out on the Premier League back in May, they are looking to go one better than last season under the German and secure their place back in the top-flight, and have certainly added quality and experience to their squad.
| Leeds United – 2024/25 Signings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed From | Loan/Permanent |
| Isaac Schmidt | FC St. Gallen | Permanent |
| Ao Tanaka | Fortuna Düsseldorf | Permanent |
| Manor Solomon | Tottenham Hotspur | Loan |
| Largie Ramazani | UD Almeria | Permanent |
| Jayden Bogle | Sheffield United | Permanent |
| Joe Rothwell | AFC Bournemouth | Loan (option to buy) |
| Alex Cairns | Salford City | Permanent |
| Joe Rodon | Tottenham Hotspur | Permanent |
It looked like a group of players that would be one of the favourites to go up automatically unless an injury crisis struck. However, that has become their reality, as they are currently in the midst of one in some areas of the squad, with central midfield, centre-back, and out wide all problem areas for the club at present.
Many of the fundamental pieces of Farke’s side this season are already becoming clearer, but the current injury situation threatens to undermine their season and they are currently worrying about multiple areas of the squad which are stretched extremely thin.
In the coming months, it will become clearer where each player’s place in the pecking order is, and what problem areas are still persisting for Farke. Currently, the only way for Leeds to add more experience and depth to their side from now until January is by exploring the free agent market.
Should they opt to give more time to assess the team, then January will be a potentially season-defining period for the Whites, who need all the players they can get currently. Things can change quickly in football, as they have proven lately, but here we take a look at a realistic dream window for Leeds.
Note: Considering the shortage of options, this piece will primarily focus on incomings, with Leeds and Farke arguably requiring every first-team player in some capacity currently.
