6 Leeds players Premier League clubs must sign after missing out on play-offs

Just as the old adage warns, Leeds has fallen. Again.

Daniel Farke's side were good enough to return to the Premier League this year, but their 90 points were somehow not enough to finish in the top two and they lost to Southampton in the play-off final.

There is Premier League quality abounding in the Leeds squad, and their fans should brace themselves for a tumultuous summer, especially if reports of huge transfer bills are to be believed.

Here are five players on the books at Elland Road that top clubs should be looking to sign.

The man with the coolest name in football should be on the radar of every club in need of a young and dynamic winger.

Crysencio Summerville showed glimpses of his talent in Leeds' last season in the Premier League before fully blossoming in the Championship last year, scoring 21 goals and providing 10 assists this season.

There were even calls for Ronald Koeman to promote the 22-year-old to the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024. Alas, that did not happen. We howl in anger at the wind.

Archie Gray's performance under the microscope and under the Wembley arch on Sunday left a lasting impression, but he is still only 18. This is not the worst thing that will happen to him. And not in a threatening way.

Throughout the season, Gray has shown his great abilities as a box-to-box midfielder and right-back. He has been linked with some of Europe's top clubs, not to mention the Premier League.

As a third generation Leeds star, it would be very difficult for the club to see him leave.

Ethan Ampadu's great career started at 15 and took him to Exeter City, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Sheffield United, Venezia, Spezia and Leeds in the eight years since. That is an experience.

Although he now looks settled at Leeds and has parlayed his years of senior football into important leadership at Elland Road, there are plenty of good reasons why bigger and better clubs should come calling.

In another life, Dan James would have a long career as a wrestler who rolls like a boomerang, such is his penchant for winning fouls.

Anyway, let's focus on football. Despite appearing mostly off the bench, James managed a respectable 13 goals and seven assists in Leeds' path to misery. With so much pace, you can't say he wouldn't prove valuable to a team in the Premier League.

When Leeds were relegated, it became clear to the world that Wilfried Gnonto would not be following them into the Championship. He even sat out the first few weeks of the season to try to make that happen, too.

Eventually Farke regrouped and re-integrated the Italy international into the fold. Whether she can continue with him is another matter.

Should Leeds have spent a pricey £35m on Georginio Rutter in January 2023 when they desperately need a more proven striker? Definitely not, but at least he's completely redundant.

In fact, his total of 15 assists in the Championship was only surpassed by Ipswich Town's Leif Davis. Leeds may not be able to recoup their money from Rutter but they could still trade him for a lower fee if needed.

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