Leeds United Q and A: Summer signings, outgoings, Junior Firpo, Matheus Cunha, Noa Lang, Gjanni Alioski's deal and Marcelo Bielsa's future
Orta is progressing in his hunt for a midfielder, along with a left-back, while the addition of a winger appears more likely to go further into the window.
As well as at least a trio of first team signings, Leeds are planning to bolster the academy and Under 23 squads, with a young player expected to join the club over the next week.
Here are the questions the YEP readers have been asking and what we can say right now.
Leeds United Q and A
@Farquha63494694: Is there any truth in Liverpool’s interest in Raphinha? Or has there been any contact between the two clubs?
The last time we checked Liverpool had never made any contact with Leeds over Raphinha. I’m quite sure they and others hold some level of interest in him, and why not? He’s very good at football.
@Gribbo_: Can you see more players going out on loan this season? Shack, Cresswell etc?
I’m not so sure Shackleton will go out on loan and Cresswell hasn’t been touted as one of those who could go elsewhere to get football. I feel like he’ll play a lot of the PL2 games for Mark Jackson’s side and continue to develop at Thorp Arch. He’s two years younger than Oliver Casey so has a little more time on his side to make a breakthrough. They certainly seem to rate him.
There will be others going out on loan. Alfie McCalmont will likely go to League One on loan, unless someone makes a particularly good offer with a significant sell-on, I could see Niall Huggins potentially going on loan - there’s lots of interest. Bournemouth were keen on Leif Davis a few months ago, for a permanent deal, although that’s gone quite quiet now. Players who were out on loan last season seem likely to go out again this season. Bryce Hosannah, when fit again, Jordan Stevens etc.
@piersbackh0use: When will Jack Harrison become permanent?
Very soon. There’s no concern about that one.
@Buttylufc: When do you expect the first signings to get tied up in your opinion?
How long is a piece of string? In terms of time frame, Leeds will be hoping to get one if not two of their summer first team deals over the line in the next 10 days to a fortnight. I’d be surprised if they hadn’t managed to complete any business within that time. The first 23s signing is very close now.
@Matt_Vare: Is there any progress on Harrison Reed? Seems a strange one to go for, not a bad player by any means and would be cheaper with relegation you'd think
Whilst Harrison Reed is a player well liked at Leeds, historically, I’m led to believe he’s not on the summer shortlist for the midfield places. He does make quite a lot of sense to me, given the way he plays and how good he is at it, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen this time round.
@coates_martin: Thoughts on how Leeds will do next season?
Hard to call. I think they’re at much less danger of doing a Sheffield United because their recruitment before the first season in the Premier League was so good. The Blades ran into injury troubles and discovered that below the first team there really wasn’t much depth at all. Leeds added real quality and hope to do so again this summer. They’ll have too much, in my estimation, to finish in the lower half of the table. I could see them improving on last season, slightly. Why not shoot for Europe? But anything in the top half will be just fine. The most important thing is establishing themselves as a solid Premier League outfit and then they can really start to look up and try to emulate a Leicester City.
@bennettlufc93: What is the realistic timeframe on the ground redevelopments?
Given the sheer scale of the work and the financial outlay, I wouldn’t expect anything imminently. It’s being talked about at the moment because the council had to debate the moving of the Parklife scheme and the reasons behind it, but a 55,000-seater Elland Road is still a long way off. For the 49ers, you’d think they would want to increase their stake again before throwing their financial might behind a hugely expensive ground redevelopment and right now Andrea Radrizzani is in a very strong position thanks to Leeds’ success in his era, with no real need to give up further control just yet.
@_LewisStant: Amari Miller one of the youth players?
He’s certainly a player Leeds like and they do want to strengthen the midfield options for the 23s squad.