Amid a raft of exits, Joe Rodon had been United’s sole new signing of the summer upon his £10m permanent switch from Tottenham Hotspur but Leeds have now bagged their second and third arrivals of the current transfer window.
Experienced keeper Alex Cairns put pen to paper on a move from Salford City on Monday and Joe Rothwell then sealed a season-long loan move from Bournemouth three days later on Thursday evening.
Two ‘new’ faces as a third one returns and with six weeks of the summer transfer window still remaining. Brenden Aaronson will also be back with Leeds for their new promotion bid following last season’s loan exit relegation release clause to Union Berlin. Whether that also proves the case with Max Wober and Rasmus Kristensen remains to be seen.
Archie Gray, meanwhile, has been the clear standout departure in leaving Leeds for Tottenham for £40m. Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton are among the other departures with everything already leading to a much changed new best XI and bench, our idea of which we run through here.
2. RB: Sam Byram
The clear right back call although clearly a position in which Leeds need to add to following Archie Gray's sale. Whether or not Rasmus Kristensen emerges as an option remains to be seen. Photo: Jess Hornby
3. CB: Joe Rodon
Back at Leeds and back for good upon his £10m switch from Tottenham. A no-brainer pick at centre-back. Photo: Ed Sykes
4. CB: Pascal Struijk
Back from injury and back with a bang if training footage of the bleep test is anything to go by. Struijk has not played since Boxing Day due to a groin injury but everything now points to a first choice centre-back pairing of Struijk and Rodon, allowing Ethan Ampadu to move back into midfield. Max Wober could emerge as another leading option if he returns. Photo: Tim Markland
5. LB: Junior Firpo
Wober could also emerge as a leading left back option should he form part of the new promotion-seeking squad but Firpo enjoyed a decent second half of last season and looks the obvious clear first choice. Photo: George Wood
6. CM: Ethan Ampadu
Ampadu impressed upon dropping into defence to fill the void left by Struijk upon his injury but the Wales international star is a natural centre midfielder and moving back into that position looks a straightforward call. Just a case of who partners him. Photo: Mike Hewitt