Leeds United have all but secured their safety in the Premier League after a 3-1 win over Burnley at Elland Road on Friday night took them to 43 points.
Daniel Farke has done a sublime job in West Yorkshire, leading the team clear of the relegation zone and to an FA Cup semi-final, but the job is not done yet.
Focus must turn to the upcoming summer transfer window and what the Whites can do to improve their squad to go again in the 2026/27 campaign under the German coach.
Leeds have not competed in a European competition since the 2002/03 season and returning to the European stage should be their ambition in the mid-to-long-term. That means that they should go into the summer window with the intention of signing players who could help them to push up the table, rather than settling for fighting against relegation.
How Leeds can build a squad to compete for European competitions
Since Farke made the decision to switch to a back five for the clash with Chelsea at Elland Road, Leeds have won 32 points in 23 games and are seventh in the table in that time.
The club’s form over the past five months has been European level form, but it is down to Leeds to show that they can sustain that level over the course of an entire season, rather than half of one.
To do that, the Whites must target quality over quantity in the summer window, targeting high-quality recruits in specific positions to strengthen the starting line-up, starting with their right-sided attacking midfielder.
Brenden Aaronson has gone 19 matches without a goal in all competitions for club and country, providing two assists in that time, after a return of three goals and two assists in his seven games before that.
Looking for an upgrade on the USA international, who missed a huge one-on-one in the FA Cup semi-final loss to Chelsea, should be one of their biggest priorities if they want to push for the European places next term.
Leeds United could replace Brenden Aaronson with their new Pablo Hernandez
Aaronson does not provide the consistent quality at the top end of the pitch that Pablo Hernandez once offered, with 36 goals and 41 assists in 175 games.
The Whites could find their next version of the Spaniard, though, by swooping to sign Liverpool attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott ahead of some of their Premier League rivals.
Leeds and Brighton are two of the teams who have been approached about a possible deal for the England U21 international, whose £35m buy option looks unlikely to be activated by Aston Villa.
Elliott has not been given much of a chance at Villa, playing 117 minutes in the Premier League, but his form for Liverpool in the past shows that there is a big talent for Farke to unearth there.
Harvey Elliott Statistics:
- 2025 U21 Euros Appearances: 6
- Goals: 5
- Conversion rate: 25%
- Key passes: 10
- Assists: 0
- Pass accuracy: 82%
The 23-year-old star also showcased his quality at the U21 European Championship last summer for England, scoring five goals in six games, including a goal in the 3-2 win over Germany in the final.
Prior to that tournament, Elliott produced nine goals and 14 assists in 33 starts for Liverpool in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, averaging a goal or an assist every 1.4 starts.
Aaronson, meanwhile, has averaged a goal or an assist every three starts in the Premier League for Leeds this season, with four goals and five assists in 27 matches.
These statistics suggest that Elliott is more likely to produce goals and assists on a regular basis, as Pablo Hernandez once did as a technical wizard for Leeds in the same position, than Aaronson if he is given the chance to play week-in-week-out.
The left-footed star can play as a number ten or as a right winger, just as Hernandez did during his time at the club, and would arrive at Elland Road with plenty of experience in the Premier League and in European competitions.
Elliott has not been given many opportunities at Villa, who have Morgan Rogers in his position, but his form for Liverpool and England in the past suggest that he can be Farke’s own Hernandez and an upgrade on Aaronson.
Now it is down to the club to take advantage of his potential availability and beat Brighton to his signature when the summer transfer window opens for business.
