Paraag Marathe told Leeds United supporters the club will be ambitious but measured and deliberate after finishing the season with another year in the Premier League. In a letter after the campaign ended, he said it will take three long-fought seasons before Leeds can truly operate like an established top-flight side.
Marathe said the summer will be shaped by the Squad Cost Ratio, which will affect how Leeds approach the transfer market. He said the club will be strategic and disciplined as it seeks to comply with regulations and keep improving, and that players will both arrive and depart as part of that process. He also said Leeds spent every penny possible, as promised, to win promotion and stay up.
The message came after a season that gave Leeds some of their sharpest moments in years. They recorded their first league win at Old Trafford since 1981, reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987 and collected 32 points at Elland Road, a home record that helped secure another season in the Premier League. Marathe thanked Daniel, the players and staff for working tirelessly, and praised supporters for backing the team throughout the campaign.
He said Elland Road became one of the best environments in global football, a line that reflected how the club sees its progress since promotion. Leeds said the second season in the Premier League can be just as hard, or harder, than the first, and Marathe tied the next phase of the club’s growth to its global support, commercial opportunities, stadium expansion and the aim of building a world-class football operation.
That leaves Leeds with a familiar task for a newly established top-flight club: improving without overreaching. The summer market will test how far Marathe’s promise of discipline can stretch while the club tries to turn a strong survival season into something more lasting.
