Leeds United have arrived back in the Premier League this season with a point to prove. For the past two seasons all three of the newly promoted teams have been immediately relegated back down to the Championship. Leeds are determined to reverse that trend and will be aided by the fact they have managed to keep hold of the vast majority of their Championship winning side.
This article, however, will focus on their summer signings and discuss the fact that a clear physical pattern amongst the new arrivals has emerged. Can signing height and strength ensure Leeds United’s Premier League survival?
The Towering New Recruits
Of the nine new signings so far only one player is under the 6ft mark and even then, the Swedish international Gabriel Gudmundsson is a far from diminutive 5 feet 11 inches. And, in fact, that is rather tall for a full-back. It would appear that the recruitment team at Elland Road have examined the statistics and identified height and physicality as a key method of avoiding the drop. This approach has the added benefit of addressing one of the main criticisms levelled at Leeds last season which was their weakness from set pieces, at both ends of the pitch.
The table below shows the details of the new signings in order of arrival including their heights:
| Player | Position | Previous Club | Fee | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lukas Nmecha | Centre-forward | Wolfsburg | Free | 6 ft 1 in |
| Jaka Bijol | Centre-back | Udinese | £15 million | 6 ft 3 in |
| Sebastiaan Bornauw | Centre-back | Wolfsburg | £5 million | 6 ft 3 in |
| Gabriel Gudmundsson | Left-back | Lille | £10 million | 5 ft 11 in |
| Sean Longstaff | Central midfield | Newcastle United | £12 million | 6 ft 2 in |
| Anton Stach | Defensive midfield | Hoffenheim | £17 million | 6 ft 4 in |
| Lucas Perri | Goalkeeper | Olympique Lyon | £15.6 million | 6 ft 6 in |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Centre-forward | Everton | Free | 6 ft 2 in |
| Noah Okafor | Left winger | AC Milan | £17 million | 6 ft 1 in |
We will now look in depth at each of the new arrivals and discuss what they can bring to the team.
Lukas Nmecha
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Signed on a free from Wolfsburg, Nmecha is a 26 year old German international who grew up in England after his parents moved to Manchester when he was a child. Coming through the youth system at Manchester City, he is a versatile forward who has already proven his worth to Leeds by scoring a confident penalty on his Elland Road debut to help Leeds beat Everton 1-0.
Jaka Bijol
A right-footed centre-back who played regularly in Serie A for Udinese, Slovenian international Bijol missed Leeds United’s opener against Everton due to a red card in his final match in Italy. He is an aggressive defender whose aerial dominance at 6 feet 3 inches will help make him a massive threat from set pieces, something Leeds were lacking last season. He also has the benefit of being able to play comfortably on both sides of the pitch making him a great addition for £15 million.
Sebastiaan Bornauw
The Belgium international joined his Wolfsburg teammate Nmecha at Elland Road as Leeds United’s third summer signing. He is also the third Belgium to play for the Peacocks alongside current player Largie Ramazani and Laurens De Bock who was part of the squad from 2018-2022. Another 6 feet 3 inch defender who has experience playing in the Champions League, Bonauw looks to be solid addition for a relatively low fee of £5 million.
Gabriel Gudmundsson
The only summer signing under the six-foot mark, Swedish international Gudmundsson is a versatile full back who signed for the club from French side Lille. Son of former Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town player Niklas Gudmundsson, Gabriel has also played in the Champions League with Lille and achieved an impressive 82.1% pass completion rate in addition to scoring two league goals in the 2024-25 season.
What he lacks in height – at least relatively speaking – he makes up for in versatility. Gudmindsson has played left-back, right-back, central defender, left midfielder, right midfielder, central midfielder, left winger, right winger and centre forward in his career so far!
Sean Longstaff
The local lad left his boyhood club Newcastle to join Leeds United as their fifth signing of the summer. An adaptable midfielder, Longstaff comes from a sporting family. His younger brother Matty is also a professional footballer who now plays for Toronto FC.
His father David is an accomplished sportsman who has been inducted into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame after representing Great Britain over 100 times. An experienced midfielder, Longstaff brings valuable knowledge of playing in the Premier League with him to Leeds, playing 171 times for Newcastle.
Anton Stach
Leeds United have agreed a deal worth at least £17.4m for Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach 🚨 pic.twitter.com/JIvZrgwtZO
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 19, 2025
The tallest outfield player of the new arrivals, 6ft 4in Stach was impressive in preseason and brings with him a commanding presence in both boxes, scoring 26 times in his career to date. Signed from Hoffenheim. the German international was one of the Bundesliga’s most effective ball-winners and known for his aggressive style and versatility. His commanding presence will be crucial in set pieces and at 26 years of age he will be hopeful that he can build upon the two appearances he has made so far for the German national team.
Lucas Perri
Another area of weakness for Leeds in the Championship was their goalkeeping. Young French keeper Illan Meslier made a number of high-profile errors which meant that he was replaced by their second-choice keeper Karl Darlow for the crucial final games of the season. Enter Brazilian international goalkeeper Lucas Perri, who at 6ft 6in is another commanding presence in the box and is experienced at the highest level, helping Lyon reach the quarter finals of last season’s Europa League. He has said that he hopes to transmit a sense of calmness and safety through his role at Leeds which could make all the difference this season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Another free signing, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is already very familiar with what it takes to survive in the Premier League having played over 200 games for Everton. A talented number 9 who has been unlucky with injury during his playing career, if DCL can stay fit and live up to his potential, he could have the opportunity to improve upon his 11 caps for England and his 4 international goals. His prodigious leap makes him valuable both defending and attacking set pieces.
Noah Okafor
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25 year old Swiss International Okafor is the final statuesque player to join Leeds so far, signing on a permanent deal from AC Milan. As a child he had dreamed of playing in the Premier League and he believes that his style of football is well suited to the challenges which lie ahead. As the club’s ninth signing of the summer Okafor is another tall and physical player who is looking forward to the intensity of the Premier League. His arrival means that Leeds have spent approaching £100 million in their quest for survival but only time will tell whether the Leeds giants have what it takes to remain in the Premier League.