Leeds United summer rebuild predictions with star duo likely to exit and every player assessed

The summer transfer window opens on June 14 and this summer Leeds have a head start on the work they did in 2023 following 49ers Enterprises’ takeover from Andrea Radrizzani and the appointment of Daniel Farke as manager. Marathe has backed Farke to remain in post and lead a second promotion charge, after the first one ended with a play-off final defeat at Wembley on Sunday.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Marathe insisted that squad building work was already underway. He said: “It's already started, there's no rest for the weary, not time off. Will people spend some time with their families? I certainly hope they will but we'll be burning batteries on our phones even when we're on breaks because there's really no rest. We started that before the final and we want to take advantage of this extra time we have. If we can get 90 points with not even putting together our leadership team until essentially the end of July, with playing the first month of the season with one hand tied behind our back and still end the season with 90 points, I'm really excited about what we can do with a full off-season building this squad in this league. We're going to be a force to be reckoned with, I’m confident in that."

The frantic, often chaotic and last-gasp nature of the summer 2023 window is not expected to be the theme of the one about to open. Leeds have far fewer transfer release clauses to deal with and Marathe considers them to hold greater strength when it comes to outgoing business than last summer, when so many players held their own keys to escape. Sales will be necessary due to the Championship’s Profitability and Sustainability regulations and a transfer fee ‘credit card bill’ Marathe says they inherited when they took over the club, but he has reassured fans that the summer will be just as much about in-coming business and putting a team on the pitch that is as competitive as ‘legally possible’ within the P&S rules. There are some huge decisions to make, though, not least who can be sold to ease the financial picture without damaging the team’s promotion prospects, and who can be persuaded to stay should big offers from elite clubs land in the window. Some individuals’ immediate futures are easier to predict than others, but here is the YEP’s first look at who will stay and who might go.