Leeds United’s summer transfer window will be dictated by what happens in Sunday’s Championship play-off final with Southampton.
A win at Wembley would see them return to the Premier League and enable them to be considerably more ambitious in the market they can target for signings.
Defeat, however, would consign Leeds to another season of second-tier football, which 49ers Enterprises have already acknowledged would mean key player sales are needed.
Having said that, the free agent market is somewhere Leeds should be looking irrespective of what happens in tomorrow’s match against Southampton.
With the additions of Sam Byram and Joel Robles in the last two years, Leeds have made decent use of it recently, but there are always plenty more bargains to be had.
Former Leeds target Charlie McNeill to become a free agent
Leeds have already been linked with a couple of off-contract players ahead of the summer, including Borussia Dortmund right-back Marius Wolf.
Elland Road is said to be a realistic option for Wolf if Leeds are promoted, while West Ham United’s Ben Johnson is also someone the Whites are in the race for at the end of his contract.
And another of their former targets has confirmed on Instagram he will be available on a free this summer with Charlie McNeill set to leave Manchester United.
McNeill was scouted by Leeds back in 2020 when he was still a teenager at Manchester City, but he instead opted to make the move to Old Trafford.
However, it would be fair to say McNeill’s decision to move to Man United has not worked, having played just six minutes of senior football, and now being without a club at 20-years-old.
On his exit, McNeill said: “My time has come to an end at Manchester United and I would like to say thank you to all the coaches, staff, fans and everyone involved at the club for the best four years ever.
“From joining the club, to winning the FA Youth Cup, to then making my first team debut as an 18-year-old, which was my dream come true. I will be forever grateful for getting that opportunity and living my dream of playing at the Theatre of Dreams for my boyhood club, which I can thank the manager for.
“I’ve made some friends for life and learn valuable lessons along the way. I love the club and it will always have a special place in my heart. Once a red, always a red.”
Leeds should avoid making second move for McNeill
It would be fair to say Leeds’ U21s side is in need of strengthening this summer given how many of that team from the last few years have moved onto play senior football.
Archie Gray is now very much a key first team player at Leeds, while Leo Hjelde and Lewis Bate are among those to have departed. The latter, of course, was only on loan, but is now out of contract.
However, at 20-years-old, McNeill is at the point of his career where he needs to be playing regular first team minutes somewhere, and Leeds simply isn’t a place that can offer that, given his lack of experience.