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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.
7. CB: Ethan Ampadu
The captain, who is now signed up at the club until the summer of 2030 upon signing his new four year contract and the one to build the team around. | Getty Images
8. CM: Anton Stach
Undoubtedly another of the club's star men and a player probably unfortunate not to be part of the Germany squad at the World Cup, injury not helping on that front. | Getty Images
9. RW: Harry Wilson
Wilson will probably have to work his way in but the Wales international winger is a stellar signing who can be expected to be an automatic pick in the front line, likely on the right flank. | LUFC
10. LW: Noah Okafor
Another of the club's star men and another at the World Cup with Switzerland. The winger dazzled towards the end of the season before a calf injury brought an early end to his campaign and he's a must in the front line. | Getty Images
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11. ST: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
United's no 9 and clear first choice striker who has proved a brilliant signing after arriving on a free transfer last summer. Another who is perhaps unfortunate not be heading to the World Cup with England. | Getty Images
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12. Sub: Alex Cairns
Experienced keeper Cairns was another stopper out of contract this summer but the 33-year-old signed a new two-year-deal this week and he is now the clear and indeed only back-up to Perri at present. | Getty