Momentum remains with Leeds United in the transfer window as Marc Roca’s arrival keeps the fires burning on a summer transforming this squad. That’s now three bona fide first-team options added to the group which finished last season, all by mid-June.
Victor Orta has wasted no time in redrawing the dimensions of a roster which was badly exposed by injuries last season. It’s hard to see him resting on his laurels just yet too.
That’s now a central attacking midfielder, right-back and defensive midfielder through the door, but there are still some areas the director of football will be tempted to address. Much, of course, depends on who ends up leaving Elland Road this summer.
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Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips are the highest-profile names being linked with transfers out of West Yorkshire. If either or both of them were to depart Leeds, it is understood they would be replaced in addition to whatever other business the club does.
While they remain in the building, Leeds will look to other departments in the squad. There is still a debate to be had about the strength in depth at goalkeeper.
Illan Meslier, still only 22, now has 77 senior appearances to his name with Leeds and that is a project they have to stick with. Having come through the peaks and troughs of two full seasons in the top flight, it would be foolish to lose faith now.
Meslier is only going to improve with more and more football at this level. With his peak still the best part of 10 years away, the Frenchman should remain number one, but the question marks are around his back-ups.
Kiko Casilla is unlikely to stick around for long at Thorp Arch for pre-season, if he returns at all. Elia Caprile signed a new deal as he went out on loan last term, but there is little to suggest he is about to supplant Kristoffer Klaesson or Dani van den Heuvel for the coming year.
Klaesson was impressive in his one senior appearance last season, but proved hit and miss with the under-23s in what was, admittedly, his first campaign in this country. The question then remains about how Leeds are set if Meslier suffers a long-term injury.
It is not uncommon to see experienced stoppers settle for places on the bench across the top flight and United should not find it too difficult to get one of their own, especially if they’re third-choice elsewhere. Right-back and centre-back look well covered, but the left side of defence remains a perennial question mark at Elland Road.
Junior Firpo is the only recognised, fit, senior option to play there at the start of next season. Stuart Dallas’s injury has put him out of the picture for the foreseeable future, while Leif Davis and Liam McCarron are far from proven at this level.
The speculation on left-backs has been very light so far this summer with no firm suggestions Leeds are in for anyone to battle with Firpo as it stands. Pascal Struijk and Leo Hjelde are the only other names in the squad with recent experience of that role, but both are seen as long-term central options.
If Phillips were to depart then that double-pivot Jesse Marsch has used in a 4-2-3-1 would need attention. As it stands, with him, Adam Forshaw, Roca, Mateusz Klich, Sam Greenwood and Lewis Bate competing, they may now have enough in that department.
It’s the same case with Raphinha. If the Brazilian moves on there is a fresh need to inject some serious attacking quality into the flanks of Marsch’s attacking four.
Daniel James, Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville are in place already, so if Raphinha sticks around they should have enough, especially when natural wingers don’t suit a narrow shape. The noise around Raphinha’s exit surely means Orta is prepared to move for replacements of similar quality.
Brenden Aaronson’s arrival brings competition to the likes of Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts. That number 10 slot should be sorted unless the Spain or Wales international moves on.
The reported interest in Eddie Nketiah shows there is an appetite for another striker in the camp. Roberts and Rodrigo are capable deputies for Patrick Bamford, but last season showed 20-year-old Joe Gelhardt is the best back-up.
One of the biggest issues last season proved to be the absence of Bamford. It is too much to expect Gelhardt to start 30 matches in a campaign, so another reliable forward seems to make sense.
