'Absolutely no panic' - Leeds United chief explains transfer situation for remainder of Premier League summer window

Only an 'exceptional opportunity' to sign a player who improves Marcelo Bielsa's squad will bring Leeds United back to the transfer market this summer.
EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - Raphinha was a surprise signing for Leeds United late last summer as the window closed. Pic: GettyEXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - Raphinha was a surprise signing for Leeds United late last summer as the window closed. Pic: Getty
EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY - Raphinha was a surprise signing for Leeds United late last summer as the window closed. Pic: Getty

The Whites are comfortable with the squad as it stands, despite it being known since before the window opened that they were lining up central midfield and wing targets.

Chief executive Angus Kinnear says there is no panic as the summer window enters its final three weeks and although he would not rule it out entirely, he's not anticipating much in the way of transfer business.

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"If I was going to bet on it I would suggest there'll be little movement between now and the end of the window but if you had asked me at the same time last season I would have said there wouldn't be any movement and then we brought in Raphinha," he told The Square Ball podcast."It can change and the strategy is very much to be ready but it has to be an exceptional opportunity and a player who moves the team forward."

The latest name linked to Leeds is Huddersfield Town's Lewis O'Brien and Kinnear says there is currently no movement on that deal. The YEP understands the two clubs were unable to reach an agreement on a valuation for the midfielder after initial talks and no further negotiations have taken place.

Leeds are still looking for potential additions who could, as Raphinha did, come in late in the window and make a significant impact, but will not sign players in any kind of desperation.

"I think 'sit and wait' is probably unfair on the guys, it's a very active process, they're speaking to clubs, agents, monitoring the market place, trying to identify when an exceptional opportunity arises," said Kinnear.

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"But to reassure everybody, there is absolutely no panic at the training ground. I think Marcelo, Victor and Andrea and the team as well are very comfortable going into the first games with the team we had last season that served us so well, with the addition of Junior at left-back. But we're always on the lookout and we're very good at taking the opportunities when they arise.

"The trading strategy that generated such great value with Robin, Diego, Raphinha and Rodrigo, we're not going to move away from that. There's going to be no panic buying. The strategy from a year ago was to get it right last summer, we think we did get it right last summer, we think we've built a team which could last two years in this league, particularly when we overlay the fact we've been able to resist any offers for the marquee talent."

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