Six weeks have now passed since Leeds United signed off from their first season back in the Premier League - and the club’s strongest XI and bench already now has a different look to it.
A Leeds side whose top-flight survival was sealed with three games still remaining finished the 2025-26 campaign with a final day 3-1 defeat at West Ham who are now heading for the Championship as Leeds prepare for their second year back in the big time.
Ahead of the new season and the summer transfer window opening, Leeds announced their retained list on June 10 with news that keeper Illan Meslier would be leaving the club upon his contract expiring this summer. It was also confirmed that loanee attacker Facundo Buonanotte would return to parent club Brighton.
Leeds also revealed they were in discussions with three other players whose contracts expired this summer, two of them being keepers in Karl Darlow and Alex Cairns plus full-back Sam Byram although all three players are now technically speaking free agents.
News of a very big exit then emerged at the start of this month as centre-back Pascal Struijk completed a £20m switch to Brighton as Leeds themselves closed in on a major new signing in Harry Wilson as a free transfer from Fulham.
Wilson’s move to Leeds is done although yet to be announced. With Wilson incoming but Struijk, Meslier and Buonanotte gone, here, we run through our idea of the new strongest Leeds XI and bench as things stand with Wilson still to be added to the mix.
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1. GK: Lucas Perri
Perri was brought in last summer to be the club's new first choice keeper but eventually lost the position to Karl Darlow who has himself now left for Manchester United. With Illan Meslier also leaving, Perri is clear first choice again but it goes without saying that the Whites need a new stopper this summer. Get James Trafford in and the back line is absolutely cooking. | Getty Images
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2. RB: Jayden Bogle
Clear first choice right back although James Justin a strong alternative who can play anywhere across the back line. | Getty Images
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3. CB: Joe Rodon
Leeds are once again strong in the centre back department following the arrival of Muharemovic after Struijk's departure and the burning question now is whether Farke sticks with five at the back that worked so well in the second half of last season or switches to a back four. Either way, though, Wales international warrior Rodon looks certain to start. | Getty Images
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4. CB: Jaka Bijol
The summer 2025 signing really began to shine in the second half of the season and the giant Slovenian international centre-back appears best in the middle of a three-man centre-back axis. That system suited Leeds very well in the second half of the campaign and there appears no obvious reason to change it considering the quality of defenders available. | Getty Images
5. CB: Tarik Muharemovic
Commanding centre-half Muharemovic has become the second most expensive player in the club's history in joining for £34m from Sassuolo and it's just a case of whether he starts in a back five or back four. As a left sided centre-half, a straight swap as the left sided CB in a back three seems to make sense although no surprise if it ends up being Rodon and Muharemovic in a back four. | LUFC
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6. LB: Gabi Gudmundsson
The Swede is clear first choice left back and one of four Leeds players who has been representing the club at the World Cup. | Getty Images