Leeds United know that they face an incredibly difficult task of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League when they take to the field next season.
The three teams promoted from the Championship have all been relegated from the top-flight in each of the last two campaigns, and the teams currently above the drop zone are concerning to teams coming up.
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, both teams who have never been relegated from the Premier League, are currently 17th and 16th in the division, which means that Leeds will have to hope that other teams drop off and decline next term to give them a chance of staying up.
The Whites, who won the Championship title with a 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season, will have to bolster their squad significantly to make the step up to compete with the likes of West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Fulham.
Daniel Farke and his staff may have one eye on what happens in the play-offs in the next couple of weeks because the club have previously been linked with Gustavo Hamer, who is starring for Sheffield United in the post-season tournament.
What Gustavo Hamer would bring to Leeds United
It was reported last summer that the Whites were interested in a deal to sign the Dutchman from the Blades, and that they went as far as to submit an official offer for his services, but they were unable to snap him up.
Hamer did not join his former teammate Jayden Bogle in switching Bramall Lane for Elland Road and went on to win the Championship Player of the Year award for Chris Wilder’s side with his impressive performances in midfield.
The former Coventry City star, who can provide a threat from free-kick situations, won the award by providing goals and assists on a regular basis for the Blades on their way to a third-placed finish in the division.
Hamer also created four chances and won four of his five duels in his side’s 3-0 win over Bristol City in the first leg of their play-off semi-final last week, off the back of his impressive performances during the regular season.
Appearances
41
xG
5.66
Goals
9
Key passes per game
1.8
Big chances created
11
Assists
7
As you can see in the table above, the attacking midfielder provided an efficient goal threat whilst also creating 11 ‘big chances’ for his side, which shows the kind of impact he can have at the top end of the pitch.
This means that Hamer would bring goals and assists from an attacking midfield position for Leeds if they were able to sign him from Sheffield United, although that seems unlikely if the Blades win the play-offs and join them in the Premier League.
Farke, however, could have his own version of the Dutch sensation if the 49ers can wrap up a deal for one of the club’s reported transfer targets.
Leeds eyeing deal for Premier League star
According to The Sunday Mirror, as relayed by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign James McAtee from Premier League giants Manchester City.
The report claims that the 49ers are lining up a move for the England U21 international as they look to bolster Farke’s squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.
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It also reveals that Manchester City are looking for a fee in the region of £25m to cash in on the attacking midfielder, despite his current contract being due to expire next summer.
The Sunday Mirror adds that Bayer Leverkusen, Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, and Crystal Palace are among the other teams keen on a deal for the English starlet, which shows that there is set to be plenty of competition for his services.
If Hamer becomes unattainable due to Sheffield United winning promotion to the Premier League, the 49ers must push to win the race for McAtee as a dream alternative.
Why McAtee could be Leeds United's own Hamer
The Manchester City youngster, like Hamer, is a diminutive and technically gifted attacking midfield player who can provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst buzzing around the pitch to link up play.
Whilst McAtee is slightly different, in that he is a left-footed player who can operate on the right or centrally, rather than the mirrored version that Hamer is, he fulfills a similar tactical role as an attacking midfield player who can make an impact in the final third.
The England U21 international, once dubbed a “special” player by Pep Guardiola, has only started three of his 15 appearances in the Premier League for City this term, but has still plundered three goals and created two ‘big chances’.
McAtee also scored three goals and provided three assists in 20 starts in the top-flight on loan at Sheffield United in the 2023/24 campaign, which came after his season on loan at Bramall Lane in the Championship.
Appearances
37
Starts
21
Goals
9
Big chances missed
2
Big chances created
6
Chances created
33
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed dynamo caught the eye in the 2022/23 Championship season with a return of 15 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 21 starts for the Blades.
These statistics show that he is similar to Hamer in the sense that he is a midfielder who can chip in with goals and assists at a decent rate, and they have both proven themselves in the second tier and the Premier League with Sheffield United.
The £25m-rated star has shown that he can find the back of the net efficiently in the top two tiers, given his return of three goals in three league starts for City this term, and that suggests that he could be a difference-maker for Leeds in the final third.
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At the age of 22, McAtee would also arrive at Elland Road with plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve in the seasons to come, which is why he could be a shrewd investment at £25m, as Farke’s own Hamer and as a quality addition to the squad.