Read our 2026/27 season preview for Leeds United as Daniel Farke's side look to build on an impressive second half of last season that saw them comfortably avoid the drop.
Leeds looked to be sleepwalking towards relegation in the lead-up to the festive period, with a run of just three wins from their opening 13 games leaving them inside the bottom three.
However, the club recovered impressively from their early slump to ultimately finish 14th, and they will look to continue that upward trajectory in the coming campaign.
Key question
How does Daniel Farke navigate a second season in the Premier League?
Despite leading Leeds to Championship success in a centurion season in 2024/25, there were multiple reports in the media that suggested that the club were debating whether to move forward with the German in charge ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Sacking a title-winning manager is an exceptionally rare occurrence in football and for good reason, but Leeds chiefs were reported to be concerned about Farke's record in the top-flight.
Both his previous experiences in the Premier League during his time at Norwich City had ended in relegation.
The first saw the club finish at the foot of the table and 14 points adrift of safety. In the second he had been dismissed in November with the Canaries once again at the foot of the table, despite picking up his first league win of the campaign just hours earlier.
As such, Farke really has a point to prove as he looks to not only replicate the success that his team found as last season progressed but to build on it and cement Leeds' status as a top-flight side.
However, as we've seen repeatedly over the years, managers are rarely given an extended period to recover from a difficult start and Farke could quickly find himself backed against a wall.
Key transfer
Harry Wilson
To sign a player coming off the best season of their career would be a coup for any Premier League team. To do so on a free could represent one of the best pieces of business in the transfer window as a whole.
Leeds have long tracked Harry Wilson, with a move for the Welsh winger ultimately collapsing on deadline day last summer despite him entering the final 12 months of his contract at Craven Cottage.
During that period Wilson embarked on the most productive spell of his top-flight career, transforming himself from a bit-part player in Marco Silva's side to becoming one of the club's most prolific attacking talents.
At the end of the season Wilson had reached double figures for the first time in the Premier League and was Fulham's top scorer in all competitions.
At 29, he is in the prime of his career and alongside several of his international team-mates has the ability to be a huge asset going forward for Leeds this season.
Breakout star
Tarik Muharemovic
Another of the club's new additions for the 2026/27 season is Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
The 23-year-old may not yet be a household name, but the centre-back's ability under pressure was integral in helping Sassuolo finish mid-table in their first season back in the Italian top flight last season.
Leeds reportedly beat out competition from a number of clubs in order to secure his signature as part of a deal worth £34.1million.
Such a lofty price tag is bound to put high expectations on the former Juventus youngster, but his appearances in pre-season have already offered a glimpse of the kind of player that he can be in the Premier League.
Replacing Pascal Struijk in the club's back line, Muharemovic will certainly be kept busy this season but his broad passing range could prove to be an invaluable asset going forward over the coming campaign.
What is a good season?
Improve last season's points total (47)
Leeds started last season as the favourites to be relegated alongside fellow newly promoted sides Sunderland and Burnley.
By successfully managing to avoid the drop they can now look to try and further establish themselves back in the top flight.
Another set of newly-promoted sides will now be favourites to drop immediately back into the Championship and Leeds can adjust their ambitions higher up the table, but it is important that they don't get ahead of themselves.
While the second half of last season will give plenty cause for optimism at Elland Road, the so-called Second Season Syndrome has affected countless Premier League teams over the years, including Leeds themselves.
After a remarkable 9th-placed finish on their long-awaited return to the top flight in 2020-21, the club slumped to 17th the following season, narrowly avoiding the drop thanks to a win over Brentford on the final day.
As such, a realistic yet still progressive aim for the club should be to try and better their points total from last season.
Outside of Marcelo Bielsa's debut Premier League campaign the last time Leeds managed to break 50 points in the top flight was all the way back in 2001-02, before the financial difficulties that almost threatened the club's very existence subsequently took hold.
Bold prediction
James Trafford to be starting for England by the end of the season
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Ellis Statham
Jordan Pickford has been a dependable servant for England since making his debut in 2017 – there’s no two ways about it – but there comes a point where the new era has to be prioritised.
Throughout his time as his country's No 1 Pickford has seen off multiple challenges to his place in the national set-up, with the likes of Dean Henderson, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope all failing to dislodge the Everton goalkeeper.
However, Pickford will be 34 by the time that the 2028 Euros comes around, and James Trafford’s switch to Leeds United could prove the perfect opportunity for the talented stopper to cement himself in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
Barring any hiccups in Trafford’s development, the 23-year-old is currently in pole position to inherit Pickford's place between the sticks for the Three Lions.
After not conceding a single goal as Lee Carsley's Young Lions triumphed at the European U21 Championships in 2023, Trafford has proven his ability to succeed at international level and he was duly handed his senior debut in the lead-up to this summer's World Cup.
While integrating him into the starting XI prior to the tournament was illogical given he had spent the campaign playing second fiddle to Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City, a starting berth at Leeds United is just what he needs to assert himself for the Three Lions.
A supreme shot-stopper who excels with the ball at the feet, Trafford’s ascension to the England starting XI feels like natural progression, and a strong debut campaign in West Yorkshire could see his role in Tuchel’s setup shift sooner rather than later.
Will they be better than last season?
Yes.
Those who doubted Daniel Farke's ability to manage in the Premier League looked to have been vindicated by Leeds' early-season struggles last term, but the German proved his mettle by leading the club safely out of danger.
The signing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer was not without risk given the striker's injury record but ultimately proved to be a masterstroke as he netted 14 league goals and was named the Premier League Player of the Month for December.
If -- and it's a big if -- the 29-year-old can maintain his fitness in the coming campaign Leeds have an attacking focal point that can count on to convert their chances into goals, and ultimately win pick up crucial points along the way.
One thing Farke will need to address if Leeds are to continue their ascent up the table in 26/27 is the club's form on the road.
Last season they managed just two league wins away from Elland Road, beating Wolves in September and Manchester United in April.
The only team to manage fewer victories on the road was Rob Edwards' beleaguered side that ultimately propped up the table.
The ramifications of their struggles on the road can be seen when looking back at their form of the course of the campaign. Just once did Leeds manage to string back-to-back Premier League wins together last season.
This will need to be remedied if they are to build on a season that had signs of genuine promise in 2025/26.
