Leeds United Championship Odds: Farke up for the fight as Whites target title

Leeds United suffered Wembley heartbreak in May as they lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Championship play-off final, a result which has consigned them to a second successive season in the second tier. Despite that disappointment, head coach Daniel Farke remains in situ at Elland Road, although the German has seen several of his stars depart for pastures new.

Ahead of the new campaign's kick-off this weekend, I have taken a look at the Leeds United Championship odds and given my prediction on how the Whites' season will pan out, which you can check out below.

Last Season: 3rd

Top Scorer: Crysencio Summerville (20 - including one in play-offs)

Transfers In: Joe Rodon - Tottenham Hotspur (£10.1m), Jayden Bogle - Sheffield United (£5.1m), Alex Cairns - Salford City (undisclosed), Joe Rothwell - AFC Bournemouth (loan)

Transfers Out: Archie Gray - Tottenham Hotspur (£35.4m), Crysencio Summerville - West Ham United (£25.2m), Luis Sinisterra - AFC Bournemouth (£20.1m), Glen Kamara - Stade Rennais (£8.6m), Marc Roca - Real Betis (£3.9m), Charlie Cresswell - Toulouse (£3.9m), Diego Llorente - Real Betis (£2.8m), Robin Koch - Eintracht Frankfurt (free), Cody Drameh - Hull City (free), Kristoffer Klaesson - Rakow (free), Jamie Shackleton - Sheffield United (free), Luke Ayling - Middlesbrough (free), Ian Poveda - Sunderland (free), Rasmus Kristensen - Eintracht Frankfurt (loan), Sam Greenwood - Preston North End (loan), Darko Gyabi - Plymouth Argyle (loan), Sonny Perkins - Leyton Orient (loan)

First Game: Portsmouth (H)

Prediction: 1st

Championship Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Championship Odds page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices.

Leeds were well-fancied to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking under their two-time Championship-winning head coach, but after going unbeaten in the first four months of 2024, winning 13 out of 15 games between New Year's Day and April 1, the Whites suffered an almighty collapse. They lost four of their next six to end the season third, six points behind runners-up Ipswich Town and a further point off champions Leicester City.

Farke's side rebounded to beat Norwich City 4-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals but suffered the ultimate agony of losing out to Southampton at Wembley.

There has been further sorrow in the summer transfer window with academy star Archie Gray kicking off the list of big-name departures from Elland Road. The 18-year-old has been followed out the exit door by last season's top scorer Crysencio Summerville, who also registered eight Championship assists last term, and midfielder Glen Kamara. The trio were all key components of Farke's team during the 2023/24 campaign but the club's failure to achieve promotion and financial issues have prompted a mini-exodus.

Leeds' squad has been trimmed significantly this summer with a host of fringe players including Charlie Cresswell, Cody Drameh and Jamie Shackleton also leaving the club. That may be seen as a positive for Farke, who can now channel his focus on a smaller group.

There haven't been many additions to the side so far, with Jayden Bogle and Joe Rodon - who spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Elland Road - the standout permanent signings.

Joe Rothwell adds Championship experience in midfield to soften the blow of Kamara's exit, while Brenden Aaronson and Max Wober have returned following loan spells last season and look set to be reintegrated into the setup, despite apparent opposition from supporters who were disappointed in their previous performances and the manner of their departures.

Football Odds

Clearly, there is still a wealth of elite-level Championship talent at Farke's disposal, notably Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, Georginio Rutter and Wilfried Gnonto. If the Whites can keep hold of the quartet, and the rest of their most influential players, there is no reason to discount them from the title race.

The experience of last season should stand them in good stead, while one of the relegated clubs - Burnley - will be adapting to life under a new manager (Scott Parker) following Vincent Kompany's surprise move to Bayern Munich, and another - Sheffield United - saw one of their stars (Bogle) leave for Elland Road.

However, replacing the guile of Gray, the speed and shooting of Summerville, and the composure of Kamara, isn't a straightforward task. Summerville in particular leaves a big hole in the side and replacing the Netherlands U21 international is of paramount importance.

Norwich's Jonathan Rowe has recently been linked with a move to West Yorkshire, and a signing like that would go a long way to appeasing supporters.

The upcoming campaign could also be a breakout one for Spanish striker Mateo Joseph, who featured 22 times in the Championship last season but only scored once as he was regularly used as an impact substitute.

A Stamford Bridge brace against Chelsea in the FA Cup is what really put him on the map earlier this year, and after scoring against Valencia in a pre-season friendly last Saturday, hopes are mounting that the 20-year-old can take some of the goalscoring burden off the shoulders of the much-criticised Patrick Bamford, who has had issues staying fit for consistent periods.

Joseph, Bamford, Rutter, Gnonto, Joel Piroe, Daniel James and potentially Rowe would be a forward line the envy of every club in the division, and if the Canaries star can be lured to Leeds, alongside one or two others, the Whites would stake a serious claim to be the Championship's top dogs this season.

Offers

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