Five Leeds United additions who could help the club gain Premier League promotion

After finally getting back to the Premier League in 2020, Leeds United were relegated from the promised land last season and haven’t had the most perfect of starts to life back in the Championship. Sure, they’ve not been bad by any stretch, and are well within the playoff race, but automatic promotion already looks like a write-off, with Leicester City and Ipswich Town well clear of the Yorkshire club.

The top half of the Championship is incredibly stacked and going up through the playoffs won’t be easy. Southampton are right there with Leeds in the table and the Saints have already proven that they are more than capable of dealing with Daniel Farke’s side. To give themselves the best chance possible of going straight back up, there are a few areas that the Lilywhites need to address in the transfer market come January.

They’re aware of it too, having already been linked to numerous names as they continue to build a squad capable of promotion. With that being said, we’ve identified the five players that the club should sign to give themselves the best odds at returning to the Premier League. Here they are.

Nadiem Amiri

In the summer, Leeds made an approach for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Nadiem Amiri, but the Germany turned them down and decided to stay and fight for his place at the Bundesliga club. He even travelled to England to complete the deal, but things went south and it collapsed. His time in Germany hasn’t really been too great since and after admitting he regretted not going through with the move, the Yorkshire club have been offered the chance to revisit it and get things done in January according to Kicker and relayed by Fussball Transfers.

Leeds have started the season strong offensively, with Crysencio Summerville and Joel Piroe both chipping in with a fair amount of goals. They’ve scored 24 in the league in total, and there have only been four games so far this season in the Championship where they have failed to hit the back of the net, but as the year progresses, they’re going to need depth and a variety of attacking talents to share the load.

That’s where Amiri can come in and make a difference. While he’s not been afforded too many chances this season so far to showcase his ability, he does have the talent to come in and add something dynamic to a side’s offense. Leeds would benefit massively from bringing him in and with so many rumours surrounding the future of Summerville and a potential move away from Elland Road possibly in the near future for the midfielder, they’re going to need players who can step in and replace his output if he goes.

That’s what Amiri can offer to the side and if Summerville doesn’t leave? Then they’ll have simply added another exciting forward player who can add depth to a squad that has been struggling with injuries so far this year. It’s a win-win either way if you ask us.

Jhon Arias

Another offensive-minded player that Leeds have been linked with, and would be wise to bring in, is Jhon Arias from Fluminese. The winger has caught the attention of several high-profile sides, so it might be difficult for Farke’s men to get a deal done, but if they can, they absolutely should.

Arias has been fantastic in Brazil over the last few seasons and his impact on Leeds if he were to join the club would be apparent almost immediately. With the ability to play on either flank, he’d be a useful figure in the side as they chase promotion and with the number of injuries they’ve been hit with so far, that versatility could be massive come May.

He’s had a brilliant 2023, scoring nine goals and creating 13 assists in 53 appearances for Fluminese. Whether it’s coming in as a replacement for a departing Summerville, or playing alongside him, the addition of Arias would go a long way toward helping Leed return to the Premier League. It’s simply a matter of whether they’ll be able to land his signature with the likes of West Ham United and Rangers also interested in the Colombian’s services.

Matt O’Riley

Another figure that Leeds went in for in the summer, Matt O’Riley was the subject of a bid from the club, but after their £10m offer was turned down, the club quickly moved past the idea of bringing him to Elland Road, and they’re probably regretting that now. Simply put, the Danish international has been sublime this year for Celtic and has even stepped up his game in a major way in the Champions League.

His value has probably risen far beyond the £10m they originally offered, but Leeds would be wise to swallow their pride and go back in for the 22-year-old. If they can afford to get a deal done, then they absolutely should. His energy and electricity in the middle of the park is something the side is sorely lacking at the moment and pairing him up with the more defensive Ethan Ampadu could hand Leeds their starting midfield pair for the next decade.

O’Riley has a keen eye for goal but is also always looking to create opportunities for his teammates and with some of the offensive talent just waiting in the side to feed off of his playmaking, it could be a very, very scary combination. Again, it might be difficult to land O’Riley now considering just how good he’s been this season so far, but the Whites need to do whatever they can to get it over the line.

Joaquin Piquerez

As we mentioned earlier, Leeds have struggled quite a bit with injuries to start this season. Only two outfield players in the entire squad have started every league game this season for Farke, a testament to how short-handed they’ve been at times. As a result, they’d be wise to add some much-needed depth to their defence and Joaquin Piquerez is the man to go for and they’ve already been linked with the man so it makes sense to go in for him.

The 25-year-old is naturally a left-back, but can also play in the midfield if required, which will undoubtedly come in handy as the season progresses. He’s currently thriving at Palmeiras and would be a huge get for the Yorkshire club if they could somehow bring him in. He might slot into the starting lineup right off the bat, but Piquerez would do a fine job providing cover for the current first-team and there’s no doubt that he’d flourish in the side if given the chance.

Adding the Uruguayan international into the mix could be pivotal if Leeds are going to be dragged through a run in the playoffs and his versatility and the depth he’d provide should be enough to see them through it and return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Brandon Thomas-Asante

West Bromwich Albion have gotten off to a fine start this season and Brandon Thomas-Asante has played a large role in that. The 24-year-old forward has already scored five goals for the Baggies in all competitions this campaign and while Leeds don’t necessarily need much firepower added to the squad, he would provide very useful competition for Piroe and add some seriously impressive depth to the side.

Having someone capable of taking control of a game as he can when Piroe isn’t at his best would be a massive benefit for Farke’s men and give them more than one option in the playoffs when they’ll certainly need it. The side has been linked to Thomas-Asante and may move for him in January if West Brom allows it, and it would be a big get for the rest of the season.

He’s not exactly the big-level star that fans may really want to see from Leeds as they work their way towards a return to the top-flight, but it’s the sort of deal that will go under the radar and in the long-term, look like a stroke of genius. Now, it’s hard to imagine that Leeds will get all five pieces of this business done in January, it’s a lot to ask of any club, and it remains to be seen just how much money the club will have to spend in the market. With that being said, the top of the Championship is as strong as it’s been in quite some time this season and for United to stand out, they need to put together a seriously impressive squad. What they have now is solid enough, but adding these guys will only take them to another level.

Check out the table below to take a closer look at the five players we think Leeds United should sign in January and who we believe would take the Yorkshire club back up to the Premier League come May.