Leeds United is now seeking to assemble a team capable of avoiding immediate relegation from the Premier League at the first opportunity.
The Whites are aware that they have an extremely difficult assignment, as the past six teams promoted to the top level have all returned to the lower leagues.
Daniel Farke and his recruitment team have already worked hard to improve the squad’s defensive strength, with three of the four new arrivals being defenders.
Sebastiaan Bornauw and Jaka Bijol joined to strengthen the manager’s defensive options, while Gabriel Gudmundsson has signed on as the new first-choice left-back.
However, the Whites have yet to make a significant statement with a major signing to boost their offense, which they may require to propel them to safety, like they did under Marcelo Bielsa.
Victor Orta ensured that the head coach had enough talent to work with in the Premier League by spending the money to sign Raphinha from Rennes.
Why Raphinha was a statement signing for Leeds?
The West Yorkshire club reportedly paid £17 million to recruit the Brazilian forward from the Ligue 1 side, which was not a huge quantity of money, but it was still a show of purpose.
Leeds were willing to spend huge money to improve their forward line ahead of a return to the Premier League, and they were well rewarded by Raphinha’s efforts on the pitch during his two seasons in England.
The Brazil international proved to be a statement acquisition for the Whites, as his performance in the last third helped the squad kick on and remain up in both seasons.
Raphinha made an immediate impact in the Premier League, scoring six goals and assisting nine times in his debut season, before going on to score 11 goals and create 10 ‘great opportunities’ in the division in 2021/22.
| 21/22 Premier League | Raphinha (per 90) | Percentile rank vs midfielders |
|---|---|---|
| Non-penalty goals | 0.22 | Top 16% |
| Non-penalty xG | 0.22 | Top 10% |
| Expected Assisted Goals | 0.23 | Top 6% |
| Assists | 0.09 | Top 42% |
| Shot-creating actions | 4.20 | Top 7% |
| Stats via FBref | ||
As shown in the table above, the Leeds great outperformed his positional contemporaries in almost all of the notable attacking metrics, demonstrating the level of excellence he generated in front of goal.
This demonstrates that he was a statement signing for the Whites, as they spent big money to bring him to Elland Road and were rewarded with survival-clinching efforts in front of goal.
Raphinha’s importance to the squad is highlighted by the fact that Leeds were relegated from the Premier League the season after he was sold to Barcelona for £55 million in the summer of 2022.
It is now up to Farke’s recruitment team to locate his own Raphinha-level acquisition, a player who can come in and make an immediate impact in the last third, leading the team to survival.
Earlier this month, journalist Ian Darke was asked where Atletico Madrid attacker Alexander Sorloth could finish up, and the reporter said: “Maybe Newcastle or Leeds, say Newcastle lost Isak, it is not the worst idea.”
While there are no concrete indications that the Whites are planning a bid for the Norwegian international, a move for the forward may be this summer’s equivalent of Orta’s Raphinha signing.
Why should Leeds sign Alexander Sorloth?
While a dependable defensive form and structure are undoubtedly crucial, the bottom line is that goals win games, and Leeds want players who can provide enough quality in front of goal to keep them in the Premier League.
Raphinha was a crucial player for Leeds because he supplied plenty of goals and assists to maintain the club in the top division for two seasons, and Sorloth has the ability to do the same at Elland Road.
Fans who don’t follow leagues outside of England may be suspicious at first, given that the striker scored one goal in 20 games for Crystal Palace between 2018 and 2019.
However, since leaving Selhurst Park, Sorloth has built a wonderful career for himself, and he is currently playing for Atletico Madrid, one of Europe’s premier teams.
The Norwegian international, who was signed by Atleti for £27 million, has shown himself as a consistent goalscorer in LaLiga over the last two seasons with Villarreal and his current club.
Leeds need a player who can provide a consistent danger in front of goal to help them avoid relegation, and Sorloth’s success over the last two seasons suggests he is the man for the job.
| Alexander Sorloth (LaLiga) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 34 | 35 |
| Starts | 30 | 15 |
| xG | 12.35 | 17.02 |
| Goals | 23 | 20 |
| Big chances created | 6 | 2 |
| Assists | 6 | 2 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As shown in the table above, the left-footed marksman has 43 goals in the last two LaLiga seasons for Villarreal and Atleti, scoring as both a steady starter and an impact replacement.
Sorloth, who was dubbed “legendary” by OptaJose after scoring four goals against Real Sociedad, has demonstrated that he can thrive as a goalscorer at the highest level while playing various roles in a squad, demonstrating his adaptability and talent.
since a result, the 29-year-old star might be the ideal choice to be Leeds’ next Raphinha acquisition, since his goal-scoring ability could help the squad avoid immediate relegation next season.
However, as previously said, Darke’s prognosis is all we have at this point. This means it’s unclear whether he’ll be an active target for the Whites this summer.
Leeds should, however, go all out to recruit the striker since it would be a statement of purpose to buy a forward with proven quality, similar to how they got Raphinha in from Ligue 1 in 2020.
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