Daniel Farke makes major claim over Leeds United summer transfer window spend

Leeds United spent around £100m on ten years players during the summer transfer window - and manager Daniel Farke has revealed the Whites were prevented from a more lucrative spend as they prepared for their big return to the Premier League.

After securing promotion with a Championship title win on a dramatic final day of last season, hopes were high Farke’s squad would be boosted with a number of high-profile additions as the Whites looked to re-establish themselves in the top flight after a two-year absence.

Two free transfer signings were secured in the form of Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Wolfsburg forward Lukas Nmecha and a four new defensive additions were landed as Sebastiaan Bornauw, Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and James Justin all arrived. The additions of two powerful midfield options came as Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach arrived from Newcastle United and Hoffenheim respectively and Farke’s goalkeeping options received a boost with the capture of Lyon star Lucas Perri. Switzerland international Noah Okafor was also secured as he was persuaded to swap life with Serie A giants AC Milan to test his undoubted ability in the Premier League with a move to Elland Road.

There was a feeling Leeds had left themselves short when the summer transfer window came to a close in early September as deals for a winger and an attacking midfielder failed to come to fruition - and Farke has explained why further deals were not secured as he set his realistic targets for the remainder of the season as his side look to preserve their Premier League status.

Emotional

He told Sky Germany: “In recent years, all promoted teams have been relegated without a trace, despite spending insane amounts on transfers. Due to Financial Fair Play regulations, we couldn’t spend as much as some promoted teams in recent years, but we still wanted to aim to be competitive and stay in the league. That is and remains our main goal, I did not expect that we would sail through so easily that we are never in danger of relegation and always cruise with a seven, eight-point lead over the relegation places and can also somehow talk about Europe. That would be totally unrealistic.

“Overall, we are on the right track. But I was neither ‘over the moon’, as they say here in England, after away victories at Wolves or West Ham United, I'm still in a depressed mood now because we lost an away game in Nottingham Forest, which plays in Europe. So, I think it is always important - especially for such an emotional club - to stay on a good level and balanced and then also to lead the club stably and not to be like the flag in the wind."

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