Leeds United are busy behind the scenes on the opening weeks of the preparation for season two in the Championship and there are key dates on the horizon they must remain aware of
Holidays, weddings and crucial time with family will be dominating the days of Leeds United’s players at the moment. Liam Cooper, Ilia Gruev, Charlie Crew, Daniel James, Ethan Ampadu and Junior Firpo may have international commitments, but everyone else will be resting up after an arduous campaign.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke and the United hierarchy are, in Paraag Marathe’s words, burning batteries on their phones to get the club in shape as soon as possible. Pre-season traditionally starts as June turns into July, which is less than four weeks away already.
Transfers will be a key part of the conversations going on between Farke, Marathe, Angus Kinnear, Gretar Steinsson and Nick Hammond. Joe Rodon, Jaidon Anthony and Connor Roberts have returned to their parent clubs, while Sam Byram, Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Jamie Shackleton are set to see their contracts expire at the end of this month.
On top of those question marks, another year in the Championship will mean United’s best talent is vulnerable to wealthier vultures with better competitions on offer. Additions are needed to provide the Whites with the experience Farke kept saying they were short of, while Marathe has already said they want more fighters in the dressing room too.
Work continues in the background between the key people at Elland Road and they all know signings can start to be made on June 14. The summer transfer window opens a week on Friday and will then remain open for business until 11pm on August 30.
Transfers are unlikely to get moving at Elland Road on June 14 itself, but this is at least the starting gun on business many fans will be looking out for. The first move involving Leeds of last summer, for example, was Tyler Roberts’s Birmingham City switch on June 21.
That was a very different summer for so many reasons, as we know. With a full summer of control, Farke will hope to see more than just the two arrivals before the end of July, as they did last year with Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.
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