Leeds United have been boosted after one of Daniel Farke’s favourite stars made clear his desire to stay at Elland Road this summer after expressing his delight at the way their return to the Premier League unfolded, and having explained why a return to the Bundesliga is not in his thinking right now.
Farke’s side cast aside a difficult autumn by switching to a 3-4-1-1 formation that really got the best out of their players, comfortably helping Leeds secure Premier League.
With sources confirming the club are now planning to extend Farke’s contract at Elland Road, the Whites and their ambitious owners, 49ers Enterprises, are now planning the next phase of their team strengthening in an effort to achieve the manager’s dream of establishing the club as a major force in the English game once again.
Often shrewd and rarely wasteful in the market, Farke will once again have a major say in the club’s transfer plans this summer as they look to raise standards even higher in LS11.
However, while Leeds could have another £100m to spend this summer and will push the new SCR (Squad Cost Ratio) rules to the maximum, the 49ers have also admitted that some sacrifices will need to be made, too.
Among those tipped to leave is Bulgarian midfielder Ilia Gruev, bought for a bargain £5m from Werder Bremen in August 2023, and who now has just a year left on his current deal.
The 26-year-old, though, is adamant he does not want to leave Elland Road, having made clear his ambitions to help the club achieve its goals and making it clear why he sees the Whites as a club with enormous potential.
“This season, we were the underdogs. Many predicted we’d be relegated again, since all three promoted teams in recent years have been relegated again,” he told Werder Bremen’s official website.
“I’m pleased that we’ve managed to stay this way, been very consistent, collected so many points, and ultimately finished with a comfortable cushion above the relegation zone…”
Gruev, who has now racked up 86 appearances for the Whites and played 1325 minutes in the Premier League this season, believes he is at a club that is destined to only get better.
And while some supporters have questioned his ability to step up in the Premier League, a man-of-the-match performance in a 3-1 home win over Nottingham Forest appears to have silenced those doubts, while the player also remains a tried and trusted on-field lieutenant under Farke.
As a result, Gruev has made it clear why he wants to remain at Elland Road amid talk of a return to the Bundesliga.
“It’s a project that’s constantly evolving. We want to build on that and continue. You can see that the people who run the club and own it want more. That’s naturally a great feeling for a player to be a part of it all. Even back in the Championship.
“The club wants to continue developing, and the stadium will be expanded in the near future. We want to become an established Premier League club again, which isn’t easy.
“Leeds have a lot of power and can generate even more energy, simply because their fanbase is outstanding and we have the resources.”