Jesse Marsch addresses questions over his Leeds United summer transfer business after seven departures

Jesse Marsch insists Leeds United's arrivals from America and the Red Bull teams were not solely his signings - but believes they were part of a 'good recipe' to improve the team at that time.

Leeds invested more than £94million into the playing squad through Marsch's first transfer window as manager, following the relief of their final-day Premier League survival. Key pillars Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha funded the arrivals, with hope among fans that the money could be spread to produce a deeper group.

American duo Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson joined their countryman at Elland Road alongside Rasmus Kristensen, all three of which came from either RB Salzburg or RB Leipzig. Luis Sinisterra and Marc Roca were outliers in that respect, coming from Feyenoord and Bayern Munich respectively, while the club accelerated their pursuit of Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich in a desperate late bid to get a forward through the door.

Aaronson and Kristensen both found life in the Premier League incredibly difficult, struggling to cope with both physical and technical demands. Questions were raised as to why Marsch thought their skillset could transfer across from Austria - a far inferior league - but the former Whites boss insists there was balance in his business.

“Yeah I liked all the players we brought in,” Marsch told Sky Sports. “And when I say ‘we’, I know a lot of times in England, we talk about the manager’s transfers, we didn’t operate that way. As a club, we really made decisions. Obviously it looks like it’s my transfers when it’s an American and some Red Bull players. 

“But I think we all felt internally, as we were shifting the team and the style of football, that having some players like Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca and Willy Gnonto, that could meet the standards of how we wanted to play the game and believe that had a high ceiling for how we develop them, along with some players that had been around the system, was a good recipe to try to build a team that was going to be successful moving forward.”

Marsch doubled down on the strategy despite seeing his Leeds side regress and fall closer to the relegation zone. The American personally called Max Wober to convince him of a move from RB Salzburg, while compatriot Weston McKennie joined on loan from Juventus.

Neither move succeeded in improving things and Marsch was sacked just days into February, with Leeds eventually relegated. Of the nine major signings made under the American, only two remain - Gnonto and Georginio Rutter - with the remaining seven forcing moves away due to release clauses in their contracts.