Intriguing Leeds United FFP point made in summer transfer window assessment
Leeds United enjoyed a "decent" summer transfer window, despite losing Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter to Premier League clubs. That is the verdict of Sky Sports summariser and EFL expert Don Goodman following a hectic period at Elland Road.
The Whites were forced to cash in on prized assets Gray, Summerville and Rutter after missing out on promotion to the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion exploited exit clauses in Gray, Summerville and Rutter's deals to prise them away from Elland Road.
But United ended a challenging summer on a positive note, recruiting Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Ao Tanaka and Isaac Schmidt in the final eight days of the transfer window. Italian Under-21 international Wilfried Gnonto also recently committed his future to the club, penning a new long-term contract.
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Daniel Farke's outfit are "100 per cent favourites" to win the Championship title, according to Goodman. He told Betway: “Another reason I still have them as favourites is, despite losing Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter, I think they had a decent window. Through those sales, they've recouped so much cash and resolved every FFP problem while also bringing in the likes of Joe Rothwell, Manor Solomon, Largie Ramazani and Ao Tanaka. These are good players. Solomon has already shown the impact he can have, by assisting Mateo Joseph's goal at the weekend.
“Looking at the bigger picture, it could have been a lot worse for Leeds United, I'm really optimistic for them. If there's one team that I can see having the ability to establish a comfortable lead at the top of the table, it is Leeds.”
United, who entertain Burnley on Saturday, are fourth in the table, having taken eight points from their opening four matches. "I think that conceding three goals against Portsmouth and against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup made them reset defensively," said Goodman. "That's the reason they went to West Bromwich Albion with the intention of not losing and it's helped them re-establish themselves as that solid unit which was one of the best defences in the Championship last season.
“They went to the Hawthorns and kept a clean sheet, as opposed to throwing caution to the wind, and nobody has scored against them since. You can't expect to concede so many goals and be successful.
“They're unbeaten this season with eight points on the board, whereas this time last year they only had five points. Daniel Farke's teams have been notoriously slow starters, too."