With only ten Premier League games remaining on the 2025/26 campaign, Leeds United sit in a superb position to secure their top-flight status for another season.
Daniel Farke’s side already sit six points clear of the relegation zone at present, despite falling to a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at Elland Road on Saturday night.
The German has done a sensational job in pulling the Whites clear of any threat of returning to the second tier and doing so whilst having limited funds at his disposal.
He was handed just £90m worth of funds to improve his squad during the summer window, with such money being spread across numerous areas of the senior ranks.
However, not all of their recent additions have managed to impress in Yorkshire, which has made their current Premier League standing all the more impressive.
Where Leeds went wrong in the transfer window last summer
Centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw was just one of multiple additions made by Leeds during the summer, subsequently arriving for a reported £5m from German side Wolfsburg.
The Belgian has failed to make the impact he would have envisaged upon his move to Elland Road, subsequently starting just four games in the league to date.
He hasn’t featured in a league game since the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with the defender being replaced after 55 minutes due to his lack of impact.
Bornauw isn’t the only player who’s struggled in Yorkshire this campaign, with goalkeeper Lucas Perri another addition who’s come under fire over recent months.
The Brazilian shot-stopper arrived in a deal worth around £15m during the off-season, but he’s failed to take the number one jersey away from Karl Darlow this campaign.
Perri has featured in 16 league games to date, but hasn’t featured since the 4-3 defeat to Newcastle United on January 7th – further highlighting the lack of faith shown in him by Farke.
Leeds star is becoming the new Augustin
Back in January of 2020, Leeds completed the loan signing of striker Jean-Kevin Augustin, with such a deal having an obligation to buy if the club secured promotion to the Premier League.
After securing a return to the top-flight under Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites were forced to fork out a reported £18m for the Frenchman’s signature – a decision that the club tried to dispute.
However, as a result of COVID, the club thought they wouldn’t have to pay the £18m fee, but as you would expect, Leipzig protested to FIFA, who then forced Leeds to pay £15.5m to settle the dispute.
Such a deal totalled just shy of £40m in total, with the player never managing to make an impact at Elland Road – as seen by his tally of just 48 minutes played.
The move will no doubt go down as one of the hierarchy’s worst in the club’s history, with new addition Facundo Buonanotte potentially
suffering the same fate.
During the recent window, Farke’s men agreed to sign the Argentine on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, with the hope that he can help secure the Whites’ top-flight status.
Another surprising January move, much like Augustin, the attacking midfielder arrived with a pedigree of managing to impress in England’s top-flight, after netting five goals and two assists on loan at Leicester City last campaign.
However, the move has failed to ignite over recent weeks, with Buonanotte only making two appearances to date – none of which came from a starting role.
As a result, he’s featured for a total of just 24 minutes under Farke to date, and also failed to appear in any league squad since the draw at Chelsea last month.
Whilst the club only have the youngster on a loan deal, the similarities to a deal for Augustin are there for all to see, with neither player managing to have the desired impact after arriving in a winter transfer window.
Both also arrived with huge excitement, but Buonanotte has mirrored the Frenchman in being unable to force his way into the side on a regular basis.
|
Facundo Buonanotte – Leeds PL stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
2 |
|
Games started |
0 |
|
Minutes played |
24 |
|
Pass accuracy |
80% |
|
Duels lost |
28% |
|
Times dribbled past |
2.6 |
|
Shots taken |
0.3 |
|
Long ball accuracy |
50% |
Given the continued cold shoulder handed his way by the manager, it’s likely the Argentine will never start for the Whites again – with such a move being a disaster for both parties.
He’s certainly been a worse signing than Perri over the last couple of months, with such moves reminding the club of the risks they take within the transfer market.
Should the club survive, the hierarchy will no doubt need to learn from such failings, especially if they are to adhere to the division’s strict financial standards.
Leeds star who was sold by Orta is now worth even more than Antoine Semenyo
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