‘Need another body’ - Leeds backed for transfer spend in key area as Tony Dorigo warns Whites against ‘standing still’

Any urge to invest heavily was resisted after landing the Championship title, with the decision taken to unearth potential - rather than stump up huge sums of cash on proven pedigree. That approach has served Leeds well.

Daniel Farke has silenced any doubters by guiding the Whites clear of relegation danger with three games to spare. With any lingering fears being calmed in that department, planning can begin in earnest for 2026-27.

With another boost being offered to the collective coffers in West Yorkshire, purse strings should be loosened a little when more fresh faces are sought. The expectation is that added firepower will figure prominently on any list of potential targets.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has fared admirably on the back of joining Leeds as a free agent, with injury struggles of his recent past being forgotten while netting 13 goals and earning an England recall.

Former Manchester City academy graduate Lukas Nmecha has proved to be an able deputy to DCL, but another proven No.9 would deliver greater depth to the Whites’ ranks and aid efforts to kick on next term.

Quizzed on whether he expects a goalscorer to be targeted, former title-winning Leeds defender Dorigo - speaking exclusively to GOAL courtesy of William Hill News - said: “I think so. I think Leeds now are at the stage where you've got to just keep improving. There's no point standing still.

“Dominic Calvert-Lewin has done fantastically well. And Lukas Nmecha, both on free transfers, they've both done really well. But, as we know, you miss one or two of your key players and then suddenly your team becomes a good bit weaker and you can't do that. Big teams have got various options.

“We tried to go and get [Jorgen] Strand Larsen in the January window. It shows the ambition of the club. There's no doubt that position will need another body. [Joel] Piroe is our other striker. I'm not sure he would be happy with the minutes he got this season, so it's interesting to see what happens.

“I think every position will be looked at to see if it can improve. I think that's what happens with clubs on the up, you need competition for places. You need to improve the squad in lots of areas. Where do you start? I think there's a few positions and I'm sure striker is one of them.”

Newcastle are the only side sat outside of the Premier League’s top nine - those in contention for European qualification - to have outscored Leeds this season. That shows that the Whites have solid attacking foundations on which to build.

They are fully aware that an alternative to Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha is required, with the best in the business having three or four reliable striking options at their disposal, and that issue will be addressed at the earliest opportunity.

The 2026 World Cup will throw open a global shop window, allowing a much wider market to be scoured, and the expectation should be that Farke will have a new recruit ready to lead the line if required by the time another Premier League campaign gets underway in August.