The £239m summer transfer window Leeds United could have had - according to bold prediction

Leeds United endured a challenging summer transfer window as they coped with the fallout from their failure to secure promotion back into the Premier League at the first attempt.

Big name stars such as Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter departed, highly-rated academy product Archie Gray made a ‘heartbreaking’ exit to Tottenham Hotspur and several players that spent last season on loan elsewhere have now secured permanent deals to leave the Whites. It wasn’t all negative as Daniel Farke’s squad was strengthened with some shrewd additions such as the loan signing of Spurs winger Manor Solomon and the permanent signings of Wales international Joe Rodon, Sheffield United full-back Jayden Bogle and Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka.

But how could the summer have played out at Elland Road? We opened up Football Manager 2024, used the editor to get the Whites squad into the state it was at the end of last season and allowed the world’s most popular managerial simulation to predict how things would play out in the transfer market.

OUTS

As expected, there were some big name departures - but perhaps the biggest news came with the one that did not leave Elland Road. Despite watching several key team-mates depart, Crysenico Summerville remained with the Whites by the time the summer transfer window closed for business. However, he would form part of a new look forward line after Wilfried Gnonto moves to Portuguese giants Porto, Joel Piroe joined Real Mallorca, Georginio Rutter returned to Germany with Wolfsburg and Patrick Bamford remained in the Championship with Bristol City.

There was a permanent departure for Jack Harrison as he moved into the Premier League after agreeing a £32m deal with Crystal Palace and the move into the virtual world was not enough to retain the services of Archie Gray as he joined Manchester City in a £31m deal.

All outgoings: Sonny Perkins (loan to Gillingham), Wilfried Gnonto (£27m to Porto), Diego Llorente (£4m to Roma), Robin Koch (free to Eintracht Frankfurt), Luke Ayling (free to Middlesbrough), Ian Poveda (free to Huddersfield Town), Iliya Gruev (£4m to Rangers), Joel Piroe (£9m to Real Mallorca), Junior Firpo (£13m to Roma), Archie Gray (£31m to Manchester City), Marc Roca (£5m to Real Betis), Sam Greenwood (loan to QPR), Jack Harrison (£32m to Crystal Palace), Georginio Rutter (£50m to Wolfsburg), Patrick Bamford (£2.5m to Bristol City), Glen Kamara (£3m to Werder Bremen), Robin Koch (free to Eintracht Frankfurt), Cody Drameh (free to Celtic), Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper, Klaesson (all released) Total income: £180.5m

INS

Now for the interest part - what business did the virtual Whites conduct? Firstly, goalkeeping competition was added with a season-long loan move for Newcastle United’s Mark Gillespie. Farke spent £11m boosting his defensive ranks with the full-back duo of Roma’s Zeki Celik and Bristol City’s Cameron Pring - but a more prudent approach was taken at the back as Sam McCallum and Calum Chambers joined on free transfers and Joe Rodon returned for a second season on loan at Elland Road.

The big money came in midfield as Sander Berge joined from Burnley in an £18m deal, £9m was spent on Luton Town star Ross Barkley and Salternitana’s Ismaila Coulibaly was snapped up in a £5m move. There were some eye-catching moves in the final third as Fabio Silva joined on a season-long loan from Wolves and Braga winger Ricardo Horta and Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi moved to Elland Road at a combined cost of £16.5m.

All incomings: Mark Gillespie (loan from Newcastle United), Rodon (loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Lassana Coulibaly (£5m from Salernitana), Sam McCallum (free from Sheffield United), Zeki Celik (£3m from Roma), Ross Barkley (£9m from Luton Town), Calum Chambers (free from Aston Villa), Taiwo Awoniyi (£9m from Nottingham Forest), Cameron Pring (£8m from Bristol City), Sander Berge (£18m from Burnley), Fabio Silva (loan from Wolves), Ricardo Horta (7.5m from Braga) Total spent: £59.5m

Farke’s Leeds United squad as per Football Manager 2024

Goalkeepers: Meslier, Darlow, Gillespie Defenders: Cresswell, Rodon, Byram, Struijk, McCallum, Celik, Chambers, Pring Midfielders: Gyabi, Ampadu, Aaronson, Coulibaly, Barkley, Berge Forwards: Summerville, James, Gelhardt, Joseph, Awoniyi, Silva, Horta