Leeds United will have to be smart in the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business on Friday, in order to retain a squad that is capable of competing for promotion to the Premier League.

The Whites lost 1-0 to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final last month and, as a result, are now preparing for a second season in the second tier.

This has left the future of several of their star players up in the air as some of Daniel Farke’s key performers may not want to remain outside of the top division for another year.

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion have reportedly already made contact to pursue a deal to sign winger Crysencio Summerville from Elland Road.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Italy U21 international Wilfried Gnonto is pushing for a move back to Italy and Bayern Munich have been linked with an interest in English starlet Archie Gray.

It remains to be seen how much money the Yorkshire-based outfit will be able to spend to bolster their squad with signings to replace any players who leave. However, there is one free agent they could swoop for who could be a fantastic addition to the team.

Leeds United’s interest in free agent magician

It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that the Whites are one of a clutch of teams keen on a swoop to sign Coventry City attacking midfielder Callum O’Hare during the summer transfer window.

The English talent is now set to become a free agent when his deal with the Championship team expires at the end of this month, after he turned down the chance to extend his contract with Mark Robins’ outfit.

He is due to be available on a free transfer as, at the age of 26, Coventry would not be due any compensation from his next team, which could make him an ideal acquisition for Leeds given that they do not know how much they have to splash before sales are made.

The report added that the Whites are also facing competition from other clubs in the race to land his signature, as Southampton and Burnley are also keen on the talented maestro.

Southampton, who beat Leeds in the play-off final, won promotion to the Premier League and that means that they can offer him top-flight football, which could give them an advantage over Farke and the Clarets in this particular transfer chase.

If the Yorkshire-based outfit do manage to come out on top and secure his services, though, then the German head coach could finally end his experiment of playing Joel Piroe in a number ten position next season.

Joel Piroe’s debut season for Leeds in numbers

The Dutch centre-forward was brought in from Championship rivals Swansea for a reported fee of more than £10m to bolster their attacking options last summer.

He arrived at Elland Road off the back of a return of 19 goals in 44 league games during the 2022/23 campaign and 22 goals in 45 outings in his first year in the English second tier for the Swans.

The vast majority of his appearances for the Welsh side came as a number nine, with 69 as a centre-forward, 12 as a right winger, and six as an attacking midfielder.

Yet, the majority of his games in a Leeds shirt during the 2023/24 campaign came as an attacking midfielder, with just eight starts as a centre-forward in 42 league outings.

Farke predominantly used him as an attacking midfielder behind a number nine – Georginio Rutter or Patrick Bamford – and that often meant that the Whites lacked dynamism and creativity in that role.

As you can see in the table above, Piroe scored fewer goals for Leeds than he did in either of his seasons with Swansea whilst also struggling to create chances on a consistent basis.

He managed less than one key pass per game and averaged an assist every 14 matches, whilst also being dominated by defenders in physical duels, which shows that the left-footed attacker did not offer much creativity for the team.

Farke could now end that experiment and exclusively use the 24-year-old ace in his natural position, as a striker, by signing O’Hare to play as a number ten.

Why Leeds should sign Callum O’Hare

The 26-year-old wizard returned from a knee injury that had kept him out for the best part of 300 days and 37 competitive matches this season.

Despite coming off the back of such a big blow, the former Aston Villa academy graduate returned to fitness and showcased his quality at the top end of the pitch.

O’Hare has been compared to Manchester City star Jack Grealish due to their Villa upbringing, slicked-back hair, and creative mastery in an attacking midfield position throughout his career.