Leeds United could be set to sign another major transfer coup - but one which comes with risk attached

Leeds United may not be making the most noise of any Premier League team in the transfer window, but they may also be quietly on the cusp of an extremely sensible and successful summer of trading – with another impressive signing moving closer to completion.

Former Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Julian Brandt appears to be inching closer to a move to Elland Road, and could join Harry Wilson in moving to Leeds on a free transfer with a number of reports suggesting that Daniel Farke’s side are leading the way in the pursuit of Brandt – but is a deal really imminent, and could the 30-year-old’s arrival raise troubling questions about the team’s tactical direction?

Will Leeds sign Julian Brandt this summer?

Several sources attest to the idea that Leeds are now on track to complete a deal for Brandt, who left Dortmund this summer after seven sparkling seasons at the Westfalenstadion – but negotiations are ongoing, and the path not clear yet.

Ajax, in particular, are keen to land Brandt and are in discussions of their own with the 48-cap Germany international, who made his name as a winger before moving into a more central role as the years rolled by.

There is also interest from Serie A, most notably from Roma, and from Spanish outfit Real Betis – Leeds are serious about getting a deal over the line, but there is still some ground to be covered despite upbeat stories from FourFourTwo and gossip websites such as TEAMtalk.

A deal is presently a very real possibility but not yet a certainty with other clubs still making their pitches. The arrival of Wilson hasn’t dampened Leeds’ enthusiasm even though their role could easily overlap in some tactical systems. But the fact that Leeds are keen doesn’t guarantee that they will offer the best salary or the most appealing sporting project.

Still, there is a very solid chance that Brandt does end up in Yorkshire in the near future – but what does that tell us about Leeds’ direction for the 2026/27 season, and should their supporters have any doubts?

Why Brandt’s arrival could herald a surprising change of strategy

Shortly after their return to the Premier League a year ago, Leeds were struggling – and it wasn’t until Farke’s decision to switch to a back-three system in December that they found the form which would eventually steer them well clear of the relegation zone.

There were drawbacks to the highly conservative, risk-averse tactics Farke used, not least in that they became a side who were far better at preventing goals than scoring them, but the ultimate result was that a struggling team right the ship and ultimately avoided the drop by some distance – but both Brandt’s potential signing and the arrival of Wilson suggests that Farke plans to move away from the strategy which worked so well for them.

Wilson is primarily a right winger and while he can be crowbarred in as a number 10 – he played in that position in the second half of the recent pre-season friendly against Wrexham – his arrival suggests an intention to move away from wing-backs and back towards a three-man attack.

Brandt’s arrival could be another hint at the same destination. Although he moved inside for Dortmund to play as a number 10 last season, his background is as a left winger.

It’s certainly fair to assume that Leeds aren’t attempting to sign Brandt and Wilson to compete for the same single position given that it’s one that’s already occupied by Anton Stach, arguably the club’s best player over the course of the last year. Either Leeds are switching formation, or their transfers don’t make much sense on paper.

Switching formation doesn’t have to be a bad thing, of course, but it’s reasonable to be concerned given that Leeds won just three of the 13 games they played in the Premier League last season with a more aggressive system that made use of wide forwards. With a front three, they were in the relegation zone. With a back three, they were far better and wound up safe by eight whole points.

Whether or not Leeds sign Brandt, there appears to be an appetite for change. Whether that’s a sensible appetite or a needless risk remains to be seen, but it feels unlikely that Leeds will stick with last season’s tactics if the German winds up at Elland Road over the coming weeks.

There’s no doubt about Brandt’s quality or productivity – his 11 goals in 41 games last season meant that he’d hit double figures for Dortmund in three of the last four years – and in a vacuum signing him is almost certainly a good idea. But moving away from the formation and tactical ideals which earned Farke so much success might not be, and that’s what this prospective deals suggests is likely to happen.