Ethan Ampadu Brennan Johnson, Leeds TottenhamBen Palmer

 

Tottenham star Brennan Johnson reacted to a message from Leeds defender Ethan Ampadu as an update on his future at Elland Road emerged.

 

The Whites confirmed their return to the Premier League with a 6-0 win over Stoke and celebrated the occasion in front of a packed Elland Road with a 4-0 dismantling of Bristol City on Monday evening (28 April).

 

The German guided the Yorkshire club to the playoff final last year and automatic promotion this time round, but there are concerns surrounding his previous track record in the Premier League, having been relegated and sacked while in charge of Norwich in his two previous top-flight campaigns.

 

Daniel Farke at Leeds United

Daniel Farke achieved promotion at the second time of asking.

Ethan Ampadu sends ‘special’ message to Leeds fans

Following the win, Leeds’ stars celebrated on the pitch and Ampadu subsequently shared photos on Instagram, captioned: “What a group of players, staff and fans! It was a special feeling to celebrate that with you all. One more to go.”

 

The post was liked by Tottenham star Johnson, showing his support for his Wales international teammate.

 

 

With just one fixture left against the nearly-relegated Plymouth, the Whites can confirm their status as Championship champions with a win on the final day of the season.

 

Leeds make decision on Ethan Ampadu future ahead of Premier League campaign

Football Insider Verdict

 

Leeds plan to retain Ampadu’s services this summer, as the top brass at the club view the Welshman as one of only a “few” players they believe capable of making the step up to England’s top-flight.

 

The Welsh international has been one of the Championship’s standout performers since joining from Chelsea two years ago.

 

However, there may be some niggling doubts about Ampadu’s fitness record, given he has missed 21 games this season due to two separate injuries.

 

2024/25 Premier League stats Ampadu

Appearances 28

Starts 25

Tackles won % 56.5%

Duels won % 61.9%

Minutes 2,196

What will now be interesting to see is if Leeds hold Ampadu’s partner at the back, Joe Rodon, in the same regard.

 

The former Tottenham man has started every single league game this season, but has struggled to make the grade in previous spells in the Premier League.

 

 

 

‘Fantastic’ Liverpool deserve Premier League crown – Pep Guardiola

 

Whites heading back to the big time

Ready to splash the cash this summer

Brazilian superstar currently at Santos

WHAT HAPPENED?

The Whites are readying themselves for a return to the big time in 2025-26. Automatic promotion out of the Championship has been confirmed, with Daniel Farke seeing his side bounce back from the disappointment of play-off final heartache last season.

 

 

Firpo has been a key performer for Leeds, with the ex-Barcelona full-back seeing his experience put to good use. He is hoping to be joined by more household names at Elland Road in the not too distant future.

 

 

Firpo, who left Camp Nou for West Yorkshire in 2021 when Leeds were a Premier League side, has told Marca when asked who he would bring in if money were no object: “If I could, I would sign Neymar for Leeds.”

 

Everton are needing a big summer of transfers to match the quality of the squad to the ambition of the new owners.

 

April was always going to prove a difficult month for Everton with some seriously tough fixtures being played.

 

David Moyes has been able to secure the Toffees mathematical Premier League survival, though.

 

With their status for the 2025/26 campaign secured, Everton will now be able to plan ahead of the summer window.

 

Everton have held transfer discussions already and there will be a real desire from the 62-year-old manager to put his stamp on the side.

 

Moyes inherited a struggling squad from Sean Dyche back in January which is now starting to show some of the same frailties.

 

There is one player who Everton are said to be keen on signing this summer but they are now facing competition from Leeds United.

 

 

 

Leeds United to battle Everton over Sean Longstaff

Everton have a strong interest in Sean Longstaff and have been eyeing the Newcastle United midfielder since January.

 

 

A move in the winter window was not an option for the Englishman with Newcastle keen to keep their academy product as squad depth.

 

According to i News, Leeds United have now entered the race to sign the 27-year-old midfielder in the summer.

 

 

Longstaff has not picked up regular minutes this season under Eddie Howe after the return of Sandro Tonali from his ban.

 

Howe has suggested Longstaff could leave this summer already as the midfielder will be eyeing more regular game time.

 

Everton are at risk of losing some of their current midfielders over the coming weeks as their contracts come to an end.

 

Adding a player with Premier League and Champions League experience could be a huge boost for Moyes as Everton look to take a step forward next season.

 

Sean Longstaff has approved Everton move

Ahead of the summer, Longstaff has already approved a move to Everton with the midfielder expected to move on from Tyneside.

 

This is a player who Moyes is believed to be a big fan of heading into the transfer window.

 

But he is also a player who has not played a great deal of football this season for the Magpies given their strength in midfield.

 

Newcastle would green light Longstaff’s sale to Everton with the Toffees well aware of the asking price put on the player.

 

With Leeds potentially offering Longstaff a move closer to home, this could be an interesting twist ahead of the summer window opening.

 

 

Patrick Bamford has put £5,000 behind the bar at The Old Peacock pub near Leeds United’s Elland Road home.

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Leeds are set to host Bristol City tonight (April 28) for their final home game of the 2024/25 campaign. It will also be the club’s first fixture since they clinched promotion to the Premier League.

 

Fans will be able to enjoy some free pre-match drinks, with Bamford having generously donated money to the popular pub.

 

 

 

 

Will Leeds United be able to consolidate themselves as a Premier League-worthy outfit next season after finally breaking free of the Championship’s grip?

 

It will certainly be easier said than done, however, considering all three promoted teams that went up at Leeds’ expense at the end of the 2023/24 campaign are all tumbling straight back down to the EFL’s top league after a short-lived top-flight stay.

 

Leeds-promotion-championship

Moreover, Daniel Farke himself has a sketchy track record in the Premier League, having picked up just six career wins at the tricky level, leading to speculation surrounding his future at Elland Road that he could be let go of despite successfully guiding the Whites up to the big-time.

 

To help in their mission to stay afloat, one of Leeds’ tactics in the summer transfer window could be to poach some of the Championship’s cream of the crop.

 

Who Leeds could sign this summer

Before looking to bring in some of the EFL’s very best, it might be a case that the Whites look at strengthening courtesy of some Premier League players.

 

Inevitably, rumours linking Kalvin Phillips with a return have been lingering in the background over the last few months, while last week, West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has reportedly become a target for the club.

 

Tomas Soucek for West Ham

But, who else is on their radar?

 

Well, heading into the 2024/25 campaign, they were persistently linked with Sheffield United playmaker Gustavo Hamer.

 

Leeds would, of course, snap up Jayden Bogle from the Blades, but this other switch wouldn’t go ahead, with the ex-Coventry City attacker then going on to win the coveted prize of Championship’s Player of the Season at the EFL awards this weekend for his efforts under Chris Wilder’s wing.

 

Gaining such recognition could well reignite the promoted side’s interest, with Hamer now having to fight it out for a place in the Premier League next season via the playoffs.

 

It’s a move pundit Lee Hendrie thinks has legs too, telling Football League World: “Obviously (Leeds) were interested (in Hamer), and particularly if the Blades don’t go up, I think that is going to be the key factor, isn’t it? He’s a very good player, and he has had a lot of clubs that were sniffing around him, even before going to Sheffield United. He’s proven that he has got that x-factor, one of the better players in the Championship arguably, in that position, anyway.”

 

Why Hamer would be a major upgrade on Aaronson

Described as an “unbelievable” player by former teammate Oli McBurnie, signing Hamer could finally see Brenden Aaronson pushed to one side in Farke’s starting lineups.

 

Aaronson should be commended for slotting back into the Whites set-up this season after his time at Elland Road had become sour but that doesn’t mean an upgrade shouldn’t be sought once their Premier League return is here.

 

gustavo-hamer-leeds

The 24-year-old was loaned out to Union Berlin for all of the 2023/24 season right after his side’s demise down to the EFL, only for the number 11 to notch up nine goals and two assists from 44 Championship appearances the following campaign back among the first-team fold.

 

Unfortunately for the rejuvenated USA international, he has endured a poor personal end to the season even as his side sit pretty in the league’s top two, with a mere two goal contributions falling his way in the Championship in 2025.

 

Whereas, Hamer – as seen via his sumptuous free-kick against Coventry back in March – has been a constant menace all campaign long for Wilder and Co, with four of his impressive 16 goal contributions in league action coming during United’s last six contests.

 

Hamer at Sheff Utd vs Aaronson at Leeds

 

Stat

 

Hamer

 

Aaronson

 

Championship games played

 

163

 

44

 

Premier League games played

 

36

 

36

 

Champ goals

 

26

 

9

 

Champ assists

 

31

 

2

 

PL goals

 

4

 

 

 

 

Shades of a certain Pablo Hernandez – a goalscoring and creative midfielder, Hamer certainly blows Aaronson out of the water with his standout Premier League output.

 

While goals certainly haven’t been hard to come by for Leeds in 2024/25, he would be a welcome addition to Farke’s ranks if a move whirred back into motion, with Hamer more than comfortable as a number ten option to usurp his ex-Red Bull Salzburg counterpart.

 

Brendan-Aaronson-Leeds

Also equally as lively down the left where he’s predominantly starred this season at Bramall Lane, Hamer would potentially give Farke a whole host of options in attack ahead of the step-up in quality, with this signing one that would undoubtedly boost Leeds in their fight for instant survival.

 

 

 

Leeds United are back in the Premier League and are going to be competing with the heavy spenders next season.

 

The parties are only just coming to an end – for now at least – after Leeds United won promotion back to the Premier League on Monday.

 

There were wild scenes at Elland Road during and after the 6-0 drubbing of Stoke City, with Burnley’s subsequent win over Sheffield United sending both sides back up to the top flight.

 

Daniel Farke has now earned his third promotion to the Premier League but murmurings have already started on whether he is good enough to keep them there.

 

Michael Brown and Gabby Agbonlahor are just two to suggest Leeds might have to consider sacking him, with Darren Bent suggesting Jose Mourinho would like the job.

 

Farke hasn’t got a good record in the Premier League, having won just six out of 49 matches for Norwich City, but Simon Jordan believes he was set up to fail due to a lack of investment in the transfer market.

 

Leeds won’t be the big fish in the pond next season and will be competing with the highest-spending clubs in the world, as their wage bill compared to the 20 Premier League sides attests.

 

 

Leeds United’s yearly wage bill

Leeds have one of, if not the, biggest wage bill in the Championship in the 2024-25 season, which has certainly helped them secure promotion.

 

 

Farke’s squad is dripping with quality and players with ample Premier League experience, reflected in their ridiculous points return, scoring rate and defensive record.

 

According to Sports Salary, this is the club’s wage bill this year:

 

£31,747,560 per year

£610,530 per week

There may be variation on the figure depending on what percentage of wages Leeds are paying for on-loan duo Manor Solomon and Joe Rothwell and other factors but, regardless, it’s a massive sum for the second tier.

 

Yet, it pales in comparison to most of the Premier League.

 

Where Leeds United wages rank in the Premier League

Leeds’ wage bill will likely increase immediately after Premier League promotion, before new signings even arrive.

 

The Leeds squad took pay cuts at around 50-60% when the club was relegated to the Championship and those wages might shoot back up next season.

 

Those players who have been signed in the two years since may also be set for a pay rise after securing promotion.

 

Still, at present, Leeds’ wage bill is absolutely dwarfed by the Premier League clubs, with Erling Haaland nearly earning as much himself in a year as the Whites spend on their whole squad.

 

Ranking Team Weekly wage bill Yearly wage bill

1 Manchester City £3,471,160 £180,500,320

2 Chelsea £3,262,085 £169,628,420

3 Arsenal £3,183,351 £165,534,252

4 Manchester United £2,965,415 £154,201,580

5 Liverpool £2,702,650 £140,537,800

6 Tottenham Hotspur £2,262,015 £117,624,780

7 Newcastle United £2,023,065 £105,199,380

8 Aston Villa £1,874,466 £97,472,232

9 West Ham United £1,710,350 £88,938,200

10 Everton £1,489,346 £77,445,992

11 Nottingham Forest £1,307,120 £67,970,240

12 Fulham £1,287,825 £66,966,900

13 Brighton £1,268,573 £65,965,796

14 Wolves £1,245,253 £64,753,156

15 Crystal Palace £1,236,340 £64,289,680

16 Bournemouth £1,194,045 £62,090,340

17 Leicester City £1,170,345 £60,857,940

18 Southampton £ 971,000 £ 50,492,000

19 Ipswich Town £820,465 £42,664,180

20 Brentford £792,791 £41,225,132

21 Leeds United £610,530 £31,747,560

All wage date via salarysport.com

Though Brentford reportedly have the lowest wage bill and are 11th in the league, they are an exception that proves the rule. It takes big money to thrive, even survive, in the first division.

 

Leicester have a wage bill that is currently near double Leeds’ yet have been humiliated this season, while Ipswich and Southampton have been unable to survive despite increasing their spending as well.

 

Other than Brentford, the three lowest wage bills will be relegated this season, which just shows that Leeds will likely have to outspend at least four other clubs on wages and more than double their bill if they want to stay up.

 

With promotion now in the bag, focus is quickly turning to the summer transfer window for Leeds United and The 49ers’ ability to put together a squad Daniel Farke can keep in the Premier League.

 

There have been murmurs that Leeds might replace Daniel Farke even after promotion and possibly, a league title. Simon Grayson rubbished the idea that The 49ers could sack Farke, but the pressure is on.

 

Paraag Marathe praised Farke in his promotion statement, but also told fans that work has been put in place in the event of promotion to deliver a squad capable of fighting for Premier League survival.

 

Before making any new signings, even if Burnley are set to complete permanent deals for Jaidon Anthony and Marcus Edwards, The 49ers and Farke need to make a few decisions no the current playing squad.

 

 

Josuha Guilavogui is one of five players set to leave Leeds United

As things stand, three players are out of contract while two loans will come to an end. Leeds are expected to sign Manor Solomon though the jury is out over whether Leeds will bring in Joe Rothwell permanently.

 

Guilavogui joined Leeds in October of the 2024-25 season, as an emergency free agent signing to cover the injuries to duo Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu. He posted on Instagram after Leeds won promotion.

 

The former Mainz, Wolfsburg and Atletico Madrid star’s Instagram post read: “WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE.

This team. These players. This club. One of a kind. Marching On Together always.”

 

 

Willy Gnonto orders Leeds to hand Guilavogui a new contract

Guilavogui played 17 times for Leeds, two starts in The FA Cup and 15 appearances as a substitute. The midfielder has matched Vinnie Jones’ record of going unbeaten in his first 15, even if he’s not started.

 

But it is Guilavogui’s character that has won the love of fans. His constant smile, his posts on social media and the clear impact he has on the Leeds squad – a father figure-like character to the younger players.

 

One of those is Willy Gnonto, who responded to Guilavogui’s post by commenting “one more season”. Joel Piroe echoed Gnonto’s statement, urging The 49ers to hand the versatile ace a two-year contract.

 

 

Focus will be on the final two games of the season as Leeds host Bristol City next Monday, before the trip to Plymouth Argyle on May 3. If Leeds win both games, they win the title – regardless of Burnley’s results.

 

 

 

Premier League promotion from the Championship has become very important for some clubs like Leeds United over the last few years. This is because, the league gives you money for qualifying and eventually dropping back into the Championship.

 

The Whites secured their place in next season’s top flight after Sheffield United failed to get a result against Burnley on Monday. As a result, both Leeds and the Clarets will play Premier League football next season. Daniel Farke’s men could not have had a better day overall.

 

How much Leeds United will earn from promotion

 

 

The figures earned from being back in the top flight differ in some situations. Clubs receive parachute payments when they are relegated back to the Championship for a number of years. Teams who do make the top flight for the first time in the last few seasons get a different amount.

 

Finance Expert Kieran Maguire explains how much Burnley and Leeds will receive ahead of next season:

 

”…instead of receiving parachute payments of £35m and £16m next season Burnley and Leeds will both be picking up £110m plus in the Premier League. The parachute payments not being paid out will be divided by the 20 PL clubs.”

 

This means the white pocket in excess of a cool £110million for getting back to the top flight.

 

Leeds are expected to get a huge boost in the transfer market

The payment from the Premier League will not be the only source of funds this summer. Club Chairman Paraag Marathe recently mentioned that the club is prepared to establish themselves in the top flight. So Daniel Farke is expected to have a decent sized transfer budget this summer.

 

One of Leeds’ first summer signings could be Kalvin Phillips, who has heavily been linked this week.