Leeds United’s trip to Wembley to face Chelsea in the FA Cup on Sunday may have ended in defeat, but it handed a generation’s worth of fans an afternoon to remember.
It was the first time the Whites reached such a stage of the competition for the first time in 39 years, with Daniel Farke’s side undoubtedly capturing the hearts of the fanbase.
The affection from the supporters will only grow in the weeks ahead if the senior side are able to secure their Premier League status within the next four outings.
Farke’s men sit six points clear of the relegation places at present, with one more win likely to secure the Whites another year dining at the top table of English football.
With survival now within touching distance, the hierarchy have already started work in improving the squad ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
The PL relegation standings (2025/26)
Position
Team
Games
Points
15th
Leeds
34
40
16th
N. Forest
34
39
17th
West Ham
34
36
18th
Spurs
34
34
19th
Burnley
34
20
20th
(R) Wolves
34
17
Leeds already working on deal for 26-goal talisman this summer
Over recent weeks, Leeds have been linked with a whole host of Wolverhampton Wanderers stars after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed.
Winger Matheus Mane is just one of the players who’s emerged on their shortlist, after the 18-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign under Rob Edwards.
The teenager, who’s scored twice in his 23 appearances, could well prove to be out of the Whites’ price range this summer – with Wolves demanding £50m for his signature this window.
Mane isn’t the only attacking option currently in the hierarchy’s sights at present, with Feyenoord star Ayase Ueda another player admired by the staff behind the scenes.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds have already sent scouts to watch the Japanese international, who’s netted 26 goals across all competitions so far this campaign.
The report states that the likes of Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on a move for the 27-year-old upon the opening of the window in June.
It’s unclear how much a deal for the forward would cost this summer, but it’s likely that the Dutch club would desire a huge profit on the £9m paid for his signature in 2023.
Why Ueda would be Leeds’ next Raphinha
Leeds have had countless players who have captured the hearts of the fanbase during their respective periods at Elland Road – but none quite as much as winger Raphinha.
The Brazilian international arrived for just £17m from French side Rennes back in the summer of 2020, with very few fans aware of the talents of the attacker.
However, the 29-year-old wasted no time in demonstrate his quality to the supporters, as seen by his tally of 15 combined goals and assists during his debut year in Yorkshire.
His second and final campaign with the Whites saw Raphinha net 11 goals – including the goal to secure survival – before departing in a club-record £55m transfer to join Spanish giants Barcelona.
Many players have tried and failed to emulate levels produced by the Brazilian at Elland Road, but Ueda could be the man to step up and finally replace his impact in the final third.
The Japanese international would match the winger in moving to Leeds as an unknown quantity to many, but he would certainly offer a needed attacking threat in 2026/27.
His tally of 26 goals throughout the ongoing campaign is more than double of any player currently on the books in Yorkshire – which demonstrates the talent he possesses in front of goal.
Eredivisie top goalscorers (2025/26)
Player
Tally
Ayase Ueda
25
Mika Godts
16
Ismael Saibari
15
Troy Parrott
15
Guus Til
13
Ricardo Pepi
13
Jacob Trenskow
12
Bryan Linssen
11
His underlying stats from 2025/26 also demonstrate his all-round talent in forward areas, with the 27-year-old able to emulate Raphinha in becoming a fan-favourite at Elland Road.
Ueda has achieved a staggering 46% shot target accuracy rate in the Eredivisie, whilst registering an average of 1.7 shots on target per 90 this campaign.
Whilst the latter of the aforementioned stats is higher than any Leeds senior player this term, it also places him in the top 15% of strikers in Europe – which highlights his nouse for finding the target.
Only two of his 26 goals this campaign have come from outside the 18-yard box, which demonstrates his fox-in-the-box type nature – something which would massively improve the Leeds squad.
The Feyenoord talisman has also been able to be a focal point for the Dutch outfit, subsequently winning 54% of the aerial duels he’s entered this term.
His threat to the opposition simply can’t be understated, as seen by his tally of 2.1 fouls won per 90 – with the defenders often having to resort to fouling him to prevent him from scoring.
Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for Ueda would cost this summer, Leeds should be all over a move for the striker who’s proven he’s capable of finding the back of the net with ease.
He has the potential to make himself a fan-favourite upon any transfer, even emulating Raphinha in arriving as an unknown star and departing as a top-level talent.
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