Leeds United gained promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking, with the Whites also winning their second title in five years in the process.
It was sealed in dramatic fashion against Plymouth Argyle, with Manor Solomon’s 91st minute winner snatching it from the grasp of Burnley’s hands. Their ambition was achieved over Easter weekend, though, with promotion to the Premier League the priority for Leeds every season as a second tier club.
That’s especially true after finishing third in the Championship with an impressive 90 points last term. Losing in the play-off final certainly came as a bitter blow to Leeds fans and players alike, as the Whites were unable to gain promotion at the first time of asking.
It meant Daniel Farke has had to undergo plenty of changes in the last two summer windows. Naturally, relegation and then failure to gain promotion saw top players depart, with the likes of Rodrigo and Tyler Adams after the first season and Crysencio Summerville Georginio Rutter last summer.
It necessitated changes, in part due to needing to raise funds and cut their cloth accordingly, but also due to the need to trim the wage bill after falling into and remaining in the second tier. However, Leeds have also recruited well in the past two windows to bring in quality.
The best decisions Leeds made in 2024/25
Winning the league with 100 points is remarkable in and of itself, but the 49ers had to operate in difficult circumstances after inheriting situations which hamstrung them, with loan clauses proving to be a frustration. This summer, it was release clauses that allowed the likes of Summerville and Rutter to depart.
They and Farke also saw the likes of Archie Gray and Glen Kamara leave West Yorkshire, with each of them playing a huge amount of minutes and proving their worth during the 2023/24 campaign. Replacing their quality and availability was likely to prove difficult, but Leeds were in good hands again this season.
Here, we take a look at some of the big decisions the club made in 2024/25 which were vindicated by the end of the campaign in a record-breaking promotion season for Leeds United.
Sticking with Daniel Farke
Leeds knew that they would have to carefully plan their next steps after missing out on promotion to the top flight via defeat to Southampton at Wembley. The 49ers could have been forgiven for going an alternate route with a new manager in a different direction in terms of philosophy and management style.
However, retaining the faith has paid off. Farke has been a steady hand and a calm head amidst plenty of turnover for two summers. He has been the right presence for a high pressure situation. Farke is a two-time winner of the second tier and that know-how guaranteed success eventually.
Not only that, but he had a clearer image of what was required for a second season with the club. Having that continuity has been vital to the club’s success this term; that is without question. Stability in the coaching and management structure has certainly helped behind the scenes and on the pitch.
How much power and say he has behind the scenes could be a concern for some, but aspects of that are needed for what is a young team full of potential. Knowing the players and knowing the league well has meant Farke hit the ground running harder than he did in 2023 and Leeds never really looked back.
Striking a new attacking balance at full-back and in midfield
After losing two huge differential attacking pieces in Rutter and Summerville, Leeds were losing goals, assists, and a match-winning capability that few others in the side possess.
Manor Solomon and Largie Ramazani have certainly brought that to the table but they have had to recalibrate and find new answers elsewhere. One decision was to have two more defensive-minded midfielders combined with two more progressive players.
That came in the form of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell and their utilisation at the base of midfield getting more goal involvements than last season’s incumbents. But it also involved getting far more from a pair of attack-minded full-backs, especially with late goals in games such a feature of Leeds’ team.
Instead of Gray and Junior Firpo or Sam Byram, it has been Firpo and Jayden Bogle. The decision to retain the 4-2-3-1 shape but fill it with the right profiles has been key to the success of the side in scoring 95 Championship goals this season. They have found a way without Rutter or Summerville to be more balanced throughout the starting XI.
Bogle and Tanaka have been two of the signings of the season across the entire division and also two of the side’s best and most consistent players. They cost £5 million and £3 million apiece and have totally evolved the team and rebalanced Farke’s new-look side in 2024/25. The former also weakened a promotion rival in Sheffield United, too; a real win-win for Leeds and Farke.
Retaining Ethan Ampadu and Pascal Struijk
Leeds were always going to lose some experience last summer as well as quality. Stuart Dallas retired, Luke Ayling joined Middlesbrough permanently, and Liam Cooper’s contract expired. It meant they needed new leaders and voices to step up from the younger generation.
Pascal Struijk and Illan Meslier were names as vice-captains last summer, and the former captained the team on 24 occasions in all competitions and has grown as a leader over the last two seasons. When Rutter and Summerville left, it was paramount that Leeds found a place for him to stay.
However, even more vitally important was retaining the services of the new club-captain in Ethan Ampadu. His wisdom and leadership for such a young man is extraordinary. He also could’ve been forgiven for departing last summer after just one year of Championship football, such was his quality and consistency.
Keeping both as part of a strong spine with Tanaka and Joe Rodon has proven to be another fantastic decision from the club. They needed continuity in some areas of the team and retaining a core of leaders with the right mentality has been the platform for the rest of the team to kick on. They now need new deals to extend their time in West Yorkshire.
Promotion opens doors for Leeds in the long-term
Many of the fundamental pieces of Farke’s side this season wouldn’t have been sticking around for a third promotion push. However, they will hope to retain each and every one of their stars in the summer, despite some PSR concerns.
On paper at least, it appeared as though they had a group of players that will be one of the favourites to go up automatically, which has come to fruition now. However, recruiting for the Premier League will be somewhat different in terms of the sorts of profiles needed to survive again.
The financial reward is perhaps the main thing for Leeds to focus on, given what it can unlock for the club. They can be relegated and better off than they were without promotion this term. That alone is huge for the club but they now need more strong decisions to try and survive the drop.
Two years of the three promoted sides being relegated again surely has to end as a cycle at some stage?
