Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has made clear he has no interest in simply surviving in the Premier League next season.
The Whites finished 14th in their first top-flight campaign since winning the Championship title in 2024/25, also reaching the FA Cup semi-finals.
Farke wants to push the club higher up the table rather than spending each season battling to avoid the drop.
Leeds’ previous Premier League stint ended in relegation after they sold key players, including Raphinha to Barcelona for £55m and Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City for £45m in 2022.
Phillips was an integral figure for Leeds, capable of playing centre-back or central midfield while offering a tough-tackling, physically imposing presence in the squad.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are now preparing a bid to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ladislav Krejci this summer.
Farke reportedly believes the Czech international would bring much-needed physicality to his side, making him a priority target in the transfer window.
Leeds are said to be willing to offer £26m for Krejci, which would recoup Wolves’ full outlay after his move from Girona becomes official in July.
Crystal Palace and Brentford are also monitoring the 27-year-old’s situation, meaning Leeds face genuine competition for his signature.
Like Phillips, Krejci can operate as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, or centre-back, giving Farke significant tactical flexibility across the squad.
The Czech international made 28 Premier League appearances this season, averaging 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game while winning 3.7 duels per outing.
Krejci ranked in the top 20% of his positional peers for interceptions made, recording 32 across the campaign, highlighting his defensive quality and awareness.
His pass accuracy of 83% and 1,087 passes completed placed him in the top 29% among peers, demonstrating genuine composure and quality in possession.
Krejci should not be judged too harshly for Wolves’ relegation, as the squad around him simply was not strong enough to survive in the top flight.
Plenty of quality players have been relegated before, with Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter at Leeds and Jarrod Bowen at West Ham United serving as recent examples.
Leeds appear to have viewed Wolves’ drop as an opportunity to acquire a talented player at a reasonable fee rather than a reason to avoid him.
The physically imposing and versatile Krejci could become Farke’s own version of Phillips and help push Leeds further up the Premier League table.