Leeds United knew that avoiding relegation from the Premier League was going to be a difficult task, because the previous six promoted teams had all been relegated at the first time of asking.
Despite winning the Championship with a staggering 100 points in the 2024/25 campaign, the Whites needed to heavily invest in their squad to build a team capable of competing in the top-flight.
Daniel Farke may have drawn inspiration from the way that Marcelo Bielsa led a newly-promoted Leeds team to safety in the 2020/21 campaign with some fantastic bits of recruitment.
Marcelo Bielsa's best signing for Leeds
Working with sporting director Victor Orta, Bielsa made eight additions to the squad, although that included Jean-Kevin Augustin and Helder Costa’s failed loans turning into permanent deals, and Illan Meslier signed permanently after his initial loan spell.
Leeds United’s 2020 summer signings
Rodrigo
Jean-Kevin Augustin
Diego Llorente
Raphinha
Helder Costa
Joe Gelhardt
Robin Koch
Illan Meslier
The standout name from the list of signings in the table above is, clearly, Raphinha. He was signed from French side Rennes for a fee of £17m, and went on to be a superstar at Elland Road.
In two seasons in West Yorkshire, the Brazil international proved that he had the quality to provide a consistent threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the Premier League.
No Leeds player managed more than his 29 goal contributions across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, per WhoScored, which illustrates just how important he was to the team’s survival in those two seasons.
The Whites were subsequently relegated from the Premier League the season after he joined Barcelona for £55m in 2022, and they have yet to survive in a Premier League campaign since his departure.
However, they currently have an in-form star signed in the summer who looks to be on his way to becoming the club’s best signing since Raphinha.
Leeds United's best signing since Raphinha
Farke was able to make ten additions to his first-team squad after the club’s promotion from the Championship, and all ten of them were brand-new additions who were not on loan last term.
Leeds 2025 summer signings
Anton Stach
Sebastiaan Bornauw
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Lukas Nmecha
Jaka Bijol
Gabriel Gudmundsson
Lucas Perri
James Justin
Noah Okafor
Sean Longstaff
At this moment in time, it looks like Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the pick of the bunch for the Whites because his recent form has propelled the side out of the relegation zone.
Leeds were in the bottom three with home games against Chelsea and Liverpool on the horizon, which made their situation seem dire, but the former Everton striker has gone on a run of six goals in five matches to earn eight points in the last four games, per Sofascore.
Calvert-Lewin, who was described as “red-hot” by reporter James Marshment, scored twice in a 4-1 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday night, a result that has left Leeds six points above the drop zone and well on course to avoid relegation.
The £100k-per-week centre-forward’s outstanding burst of goals has been key to their recent form, as he has scored six of their ten goals in the last five games.
Goals win and change games, as Raphinha’s did during his time at Leeds, and that is why Calvert-Lewin, dubbed a “nuisance” by Marshment, currently looks like the best signing of the summer, because he has scored at least three more goals than any other player in the squad, per WhoScored.
Calvert-Lewin (Premier League)
24/25
25/26
Appearances
26
15
xG
6.75
6.32
Goals
3
7
Minutes per goal
543
147
Big chances missed
16
7
Conversion rate
6%
21%
Duels won per game
4.9
5.1
Stats via Sofascore
What makes the signing all the more impressive is that, as shown in the table above, Leeds signed him on a free transfer after a dismal season with Everton in the 2024/25 campaign.
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Calvert-Lewin was horrendous in front of goal in the Premier League last term, missing 16 ‘big chances’ and only scoring three goals, but that did not deter the Whites from swooping for him.
Farke and the club had faith that he would be able to turn his form around and prove his worth at Elland Road, despite his struggles last season, and they are currently being rewarded for that faith.
Whilst there is still plenty of football left to be played this season, Calvert-Lewin currently looks like the club’s best signing since Raphinha because his Premier League quality could lead the Whites to avoid relegation for the first time since the Brazilian moved on in 2022.
Farke has an Aaronson replacement who hasn't played for Leeds since 2024
Leeds United have the perfect replacement for Brenden Aaronson already on the books.
ByEthan Lamb
Hopefully, the former England international will continue to impress in front of goal and show that he can be as impactful as Raphinha was in the top-flight for Bielsa.