While the footballing world has only just waved goodbye to the World Cup, Leeds United have little time to dwell on what has been. The Whites have arrived in the United States for their own American adventure, with pre-season now taking centre stage as preparations for the upcoming Premier League season accelerate.
The Whites announced their travelling party on Tuesday (21st July) prompting the usual wave of consternation online. “Okafor is definitely being sold”, “Farke’s treatment of Ramazani is a disgrace” and “that squad is so short; we need signings immediately” were just a handful of the reactions I came across.
With credible transfer news currently in short supply, I thought I would broaden the scope of my writing and turn my attention towards Leeds United’s pre-season tour of America. For some people, I think these pre-season friendlies will ease the worries. Over the next few days, I’ll be following closely and trying to answer any questions I see raised online.
“Okafor is definitely being sold”
This is genuinely the easiest question to answer. Okafor is currently on a mandated three-week break following Switzerland’s elimination from the World Cup. Murat Yakin’s side reached the quarter-finals before falling to Argentina after extra time on 12th July, meaning the earliest the Leeds forward can return to training is 2nd August. By that point, the Whites will be wrapping up their tour of America with a meeting against Liverpool.
It’s far from ideal. Okafor has struggled with fitness throughout his career and is yet to prove he can consistently play beyond the hour mark, so missing the bulk of pre-season is hardly the perfect preparation for a Premier League campaign.
Does it mean he won’t be sold this summer? Absolutely not. Every player has a price, and if the right offer arrives Leeds will almost certainly consider it. Can we read anything into his omission from the travelling party? Not really. His absence is dictated by the calendar, not the transfer market.
“Farke’s treatment of Ramazani is a disgrace.”
Is it?
Ramazani looked every inch a worthy replacement for Crysencio Summerville when Leeds began their title charge last season. Direct, fearless and capable of producing moments of real quality, he appeared to be growing into his role before injury halted his momentum. By the time he returned, Manor Solomon had made the left wing his own, and Ramazani never truly regained his place.
That isn’t to say he hasn’t impressed in flashes. He has. But Daniel Farke has also spoken publicly about aspects of his game that require improvement, pointing to his defensive work, his application in training and, at times, his immaturity.
One theory that has gathered traction online is that Ramazani was a recruitment department signing rather than a Daniel Farke signing. Perhaps. But it’s difficult to believe Leeds would invest heavily in a player the manager had absolutely no interest in. Ultimately, Farke sees Ramazani every single day. We don’t.
If the Belgian remains at Elland Road, he’ll have another opportunity to convince the head coach. But as things stand, it’s difficult to argue he would be ahead of Noah Okafor in the pecking order. Had Leeds landed Igor Paixão last summer, he almost certainly wouldn’t have been ahead of him either. And if the club eventually succeeds in bringing Julian Brandt to West Yorkshire, Ramazani’s route into the starting XI becomes even narrower.
Despite the clamour from sections of the fanbase, Valencia have so far been unwilling to meet Leeds’ valuation, instead waiting to see whether the asking price falls later in the window.
Which brings us back to the original question. Is Farke’s treatment of Ramazani really a disgrace? Or is it simply that supporters have become attached to the idea of the player more than the reality of where he currently sits in Leeds United’s squad?
“That squad is so short; we need signings immediately”
For full transparency, this is the statement that triggered my desire to look at Leeds’ pre-season tour. Because this statement genuinely annoyed me. How can anyone look at the travelling group and decide that we’re short, when we’re just 3 players short of the heroic team who finished in 14th place. It’s insane. It’s over dramatic. It’s the quintessential Leeds fan.
This day last year (22nd July), Leeds announced the signing of Anton Stach. There were a lot of unknowns at this point last summer with question marks over whether the Championship players could step up to Premier League level, and whether the players recruited were good enough to ensure Leeds’ survival. At this point last summer, we still hadn’t added Perri, Calvert-Lewin, Okafor, or Justin.
Yet twelve months later, those doubts have largely been answered. The core of this squad has already proven it belongs in the Premier League, delivering a comfortable 14th-place finish despite spending much of the season being tipped for relegation. That doesn’t mean Leeds should stop strengthening, but it does mean this group has earned a degree of trust. The foundations are already there; this is a squad that has shown it can compete at this level, not one starting from scratch. These boys have earned the benefit of the doubt.
Karl Darlow and Pascal Struijk are the two obvious absentees from last season’s squad. Darlow opted against another year admiring the view from the new West Stand bench, choosing one final payday across the Pennines instead. Struijk, meanwhile, decided he wanted a fresh challenge, trading a guaranteed starting berth at Elland Road for the opportunity to fight for minutes on Brighton’s bench.
Leeds moved quickly to secure Tarik Muharemović in a £34 million deal, while Harry Wilson has arrived to add further quality in the final third. And the recruitment drive is far from over. The club remain in the market for a goalkeeper, a back-up left-back, and another striker. We also know that we would like to add Shea Charles and Julian Brandt this summer. There is still plenty of work to be done, but if last season taught us anything, it’s that the squad is already built on a Premier League-quality foundation, and the next couple of weeks have the potential to transform a good summer into an outstanding one.
And finally, let’s end on a funny note. Isaac Johnson reported in Leeds Live that “Max Wöber had indicated his desire to take part in friendlies but has not been granted a place.” Under previous regimes, Wöber would likely have been shoehorned into the squad in an attempt to save money. Under the 49ers, the message is clear – “off you fuck”. Reports this lunchtime are emerging that he’s on his way to Schalke 04. Glad the message was delivered loud and clear.
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