OPINION
After Leeds United suffered a bitterly disappointing finish to their Championship campaign last season, there would have been many calls for vast improvements across the board.
Despite a number of new recruits arriving at Elland Road last summer, very few failed to hit the expected heights and that resulted in the Whites ending in 13th place – a long way away from their early season hopes of a play off finish.
Limited funds mean that Leeds cannot just conduct a mass overhaul of their first team, and instead Bielsa must look at strengthening with quality signings, rather than quantity.
With Lewis Baker brought in on a season-long loan from Chelsea to help bolster the midfield, the Daily Record claim on their live transfer blog (02/07, 10:30) that the Whites are on the brink of securing their second summer signing in the shape of Derby County’s Matej Vydra, who is said to be just days away from a move.
With the attack set to have a new face, it is time for Bielsa to turn his attention to the defence – even if some fans feel the goalkeeping scenario needs more attention.
The fact is Leeds have Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Andy Lonergan, not to mention youngster Kamil Miazek, to fill the role between the sticks, while the back line needs some serious attention.
Be it centre back, with just Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson as regular senior stars; right back, with Luke Ayling backed up by the liability that is Gaetano Berardi, or left back, with youngster Tom Pearce facing little competition from January flop Laurens De Bock, reinforcements are an absolute must.
If Bielsa could find a signing who can fill in at a number of positions at the back, as Matthew Pennington did last season, then it would help avoid the need for multiple signings while boosting the quality of the squad at the same time.