adminLeeds United have maintained an unbeaten beginning to the 2026/27 campaign in all competitions following their 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Daniel Farke’s team defeated Nottingham Forest in each of their opening two matches, in the Premier League and League Cup, before consecutive draws against Brentford and Brighton.
The West Yorkshire club are aiming to build on their efforts after ending their first season back in the top flight in 14th place following promotion from the Championship.
It is difficult for newly-promoted sides to adjust to the demands of the league, as Coventry City are discovering, but Leeds successfully navigated that challenge through a recruitment strategy that has given them a strong foundation.
The transfer secret to Leeds’ success in the Premier League
Last summer, Farke and Leeds’ recruitment department evidently prioritised signing players capable of increasing the squad’s physical standards, particularly in terms of athleticism and strength.
While supporters naturally want to see flair and technical ability, the Premier League is an exceptionally demanding and physical competition, meaning teams require players capable of handling its intensity.
Players such as Anton Stach and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in particular, excelled at Elland Road because of the physical attributes they added to the side.
Calvert-Lewin netted 14 goals, including three headers, and won an average of 3.7 aerial battles per match, while Stach arrived from the Bundesliga and won 53% of his overall duels and 62% of his aerial contests.
Gabriel Gudmundsson was the only 2025 summer recruit standing below 6 foot, while six players measuring over 6 foot 1 were signed to enhance the squad’s power and physical presence, and the strategy evidently paid off.
Leeds deliberately pursued physically imposing players who could make an immediate impact and handle the demands of the division, and they have applied a similar approach to several additions this summer.
How Leeds have unearthed a Stach and Calvert-Lewin hybrid
With £34m invested in Tarik Muharemovic and another £40m spent on bringing James Trafford to Elland Road, one of Farke’s summer arrivals has already slipped under the radar both inside and outside the club.
After Sebastiaan Bornauw departed for Hamburg on loan, Leeds moved to sign Nico Elvedi from Borussia Monchengladbach for a fee believed to be around £8.5m.
The centre-back made more appearances (34) than any other player during Farke’s time in charge of the German club before his move to Leeds, with the manager choosing to link up with the Swiss defender once again this summer.
Thanks to his existing relationship with the head coach, Elvedi has been able to settle quickly at Elland Road without requiring an extended adjustment period, featuring for 236 minutes across his last three appearances in all competitions.
The 29-year-old defender already appears to have followed Stach’s example by adapting immediately to the physical demands of English football after making the move from the Bundesliga.
Elvedi won six of his ten duels on his debut against Nottingham Forest and produced an impressive defensive showing against Brighton last weekend.
He registered ten defensive contributions to help his team secure a point away from home in the Premier League, putting himself in harm’s way twice to block efforts and protect Trafford’s goal.
His influence has not been restricted to the defensive side of the game, either, as Elvedi has also displayed a Calvert-Lewin-like danger from attacking set-pieces, creating two “big chances” with headed balls across the area from dead-ball situations on Saturday.
The Swiss international has created three chances and two “big chances” in his three appearances for the Whites in all competitions, having produced three “big chances” and provided two assists in the Bundesliga last season.
Elvedi, who supplied at least one assist in four of his previous five seasons with Gladbach, provides a genuine aerial presence inside the opposition penalty area, much like Calvert-Lewin, and that could become a significant asset throughout the Premier League campaign.
Leeds finished sixth for set-piece goals in the league last season, scoring 16 times from such situations, and Elvedi’s arrival could help them climb further up that ranking by the conclusion of the 2026/27 campaign.
The 6 foot 2 defender already appears to be an excellent addition to the squad, combining experience with defensive ability, physical strength and a threat in the attacking third, effectively bringing together some of the qualities that Stach and Calvert-Lewin contributed to the team last season.
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