It is all or nothing for Leeds United and their season on Sunday as they face Southampton in the Championship play-off final.
Leeds defeated Norwich City 4-0 in the second leg of their semi-final at Elland Road last week to setup a showdown with the Saints this weekend at Wembley, who overcame West Bromwich Albion.
A win for Leeds would see them secure the final place in next season’s Premier League at the first time of asking. Defeat, however, would consign them to another year of Championship football.
This 90 and potentially 120 minutes of football will effectively dictate Leeds’ summer. 49ers Enterprises have acknowledged key sales will be needed if they fail, with £100 million said to be needed raising.
On the other hand, promotion would setup a considerably more exciting summer as more focus would be on who comes in, as opposed to who goes out.
Bent urges Leeds to sign Ben Brereton Diaz if promoted
Leeds have already been linked with a number of players in the event they win promotion, including soon-to-be free agent Marius Wolf in the last 24 hours.
Kalvin Phillips is another who appears to be a genuine target at Elland Road and these are the calibre of names Leeds simply wouldn’t be able to attract if they remain a Championship club.
Speaking on talkSPORT last night, pundit Darren Bent believes there is a player all of the newly promoted clubs should be targeting this summer – Ben Brereton Diaz.
Brereton Diaz spent the second half of the season on loan at Sheffield United from Villarreal, where he netted an impressive six goals in 14 appearances, for what was one of the worst sides in Premier League history.
Bent believes he is an absolute no brainer for any of the promoted sides due to his impressive goal scoring tally while at the Blades.
He said: “I like Ben Brereton Diaz. If I am a newly promoted side going up, he is definitely one I would look at because his movement is good. He got six in 14. Nearly one in two. At Sheffield United. Come on.
“He went away to Villarreal, didn’t really play and then came back to Sheffield United. He is definitely one, if I am Ipswich, Leeds or Southampton. I think, yes, he is definitely I would say, yeah (too good for the Championship).”
Leeds have already been linked with Brereton Diaz
Brereton Diaz is a player who has been linked with Leeds for a number of seasons now, though his free transfer to Villarreal 12 months ago had seemingly put a stop to that.
However, the ‘extraordinary‘ 25-year-old was barely given a chance in Spain, which is why he returned to England, all be it on loan, so soon after.
Leeds never had a realistic chance of signing Brereton Diaz back in January, but according to journalist Ben Jacobs, he was already on the club’s radar ahead of this summer.
He reported a number of months ago that he is someone Leeds could target if they win promotion. Bent’s wish could come true, if the Whites defeat Southampton.