Ahead of the 2025/26 election campaign, Leeds United Faced with the prospect of fighting to remain in the EU Premier League After promotion from the Championship last season.

Daniel WakeThe team beat England’s second division and subsequently won the title, but there’s no denying that the top flight took a big step forward in terms of quality.

The German secured £90m worth of funding to make the additions he craved, followed by some shrewd additions and received excellent value for money.

Currently, with a few months left in the season, the Whites lead the relegation zone by six points, a ranking that undoubtedly exceeds fans’ expectations.

However, despite the recent spending spree in the summer, management are trying to make further reinforcements in January, with one player emerging as a prime target.

Leeds United’s January move for Jurgen Strand-Larsen fell through

In order to strengthen their forward line during the January transfer window, Leeds United made a beeline to sign the Wolves striker. Jorgen Strand Larson.

The Norwegian is out of form in 2025/26, as evidenced by his just one goal in 22 games, but Farke is clearly confident of the help he can provide.

With the Whites interested in the 25-year-old, the hierarchy decided to back the manager and subsequently Offer worth £30m made before add-ons.

However, despite the offer being rejected, Farke’s side are thought to be leading the race to sign him as no other teams have made an approach for the striker.

With just days remaining, things took a dramatic turn when Palace shocked the entire division with a £50m offer that included add-ons.

After the promotion, Leeds United could not match such a transfer fee, and the White Army gave up negotiations, allowing the Eagles to complete the transfer of the 25-year-old player.

As a result, Facundo Buonanotte remains the only newcomer at Elland Road, and the senior management has undoubtedly lost the opportunity to strengthen their survival.

The ex-Leeds United star is an improved version of Strand Larsen

Despite missing out on the signing of Strand Larsen in January, Leeds already have two excellent attacking options in their squad: Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lucas Nmecha.

The former of the two has been a regular starter for the club for much of the season before impressing in the final third of the pitch.

The Englishman has scored nine goals in the Premier League this season after joining on a free transfer from Everton and is currently the team’s top scorer.

As for the German, he has often had to play second fiddle to Calvert-Lewin, but that hasn’t stopped him scoring five goals in 19 league appearances so far.

The pair have combined for 14 goals this season, certainly bolstering their viability, but the addition of Strand Larsson will certainly bolster their viability.

However, he’s not the only forward who can offer the goods, with former forward Chris Wood Had he stayed at Elland Road he could have made a huge impact.

The New Zealand international left the Whites nine years ago in the summer of 2017 before joining Burnley in a club-record transfer of around £15m.

In two years at Yorkshire, he made 88 appearances, scoring 44 goals, and regularly featured in the Championship’s final third.

In the years since leaving, the 34-year-old has become a top talisman in the Premier League, as evidenced by his recent goalscoring performances in the Premier League.

Wood currently plays for Nottingham Forest. He has made 91 appearances for the Reds, scoring 39 times.

However, his statistics last season showcased the talent he possesses in England’s top flight, with 20 goals in 36 league appearances.

Such results were his best in the league and helped the Reds overcome numerous difficulties and qualify for European football for the first time in more than 30 years.

In a season in which he also scored six more goals than Strand Larsson, his performance once again showed that the club made the wrong decision to sack him nine years ago.

Even in the 2025/26 season, Wood still has more goals than Strand Larsen despite being ruled out of the competition since October with a knee injury and surgery.

His performance away from Elland Road was no surprise given his time in Yorkshire, with Leeds fans simply sitting back and watching him provide a helping hand for one of their relegation rivals.

The addition of the former Wolves star would have been a statement of intent from the top brass, but his lack of goals would have made any move a huge risk.

As for Falke and the fans, they are hoping their previous recruitment will be enough to secure their top-flight status when the season ends in a few months.

Relevant

Forget DCL: Falke is already more talented than Strand Larsson at Leeds

This Leeds talent will make signing Strand Larsson pointless