Category: Leeds

by Andy Dalton

Dozens of people turned up and enjoyed free ice creams, genuine home made orange juice and other culinary delights last Saturday afternoon in Armley.

They were visiting the Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre’s summer open afternoon. As the sun shone through the clouds visitors were treated to a range of refreshments. 

Some sat outside around tables on the adjoining grassed area under the shade of leafy trees. Others mingled inside the Compassion Centre. Many took the opportunity to browse the displays of goods on sale inside the Centre. They were also treated to a short talk about the various compassion projects of the City Mission amongst needy people in West Leeds.

Leeds City Mission Compassion Centre Manager Sinclair Martin thanked everyone for their attendance and support. He said: “Warm weather helped to make this a successful open afternoon and social event. A good time was enjoyed by everyone. Over £300 was raised which will help to finance our on-gong work and projects of Leeds City Mission.”

Leeds City Mission is a multi-church Christian agency which has worked with marginalised people since 1837 and seeks to meet the physical, social and spiritual needs of Leeds residents.

Gabriel Gudmundsson eased injury concerns after hobbling off during Sweden’s 5-1 World Cup win over Tunisia at the Estadio Monterrey in Mexico.He lasted 66 minutes before Elliot Stroud replaced him after treatment, and Sweden boss Graham Potter said post-match he believed it was cramp.“It was quite noticeable to me,” Gudmundsson said. “It hasn’t been an entirely optimal week for me. But I trained with the team again on Friday and got two good sessions. The circumstances with the weather [heat and humidity] may have played a small role, but regardless, it felt good,” he told Fotbollskanalen.The left-back had only just returned from a five-week hamstring lay-off before travelling to the USA, where illness disrupted his build-up.“It was dark. It was dark days,” he admitted. “I downloaded a lot of series before we flew to the US, and I managed to burn them all in two or three days. I had to isolate myself, sleep a lot and just take care of my body.”Sweden face the Netherlands in Houston, Texas on Saturday evening UK time, then Japan in Arlington on 26 June, and Gudmundsson hopes to be involved again.

Juventus players celebrate
Credit: Imago

Leeds United look almost certain to strengthen their attack this summer, with the club keen to add more firepower ahead of the new Premier League season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin carried much of the goalscoring burden last term, finishing with 14 league goals and establishing himself as Leeds’ main attacking threat. Beyond him, however, there was a lack of reliable support.

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Lukas Nmecha managed six league goals in 31 appearances, while Joel Piroe struggled to make an impact in a limited role and ended the Premier League campaign without scoring.

As a result, bringing in another striker has become a priority for Leeds, and Lois Openda is one of the names believed to be high on the club’s shortlist as they look to bolster their options up front.

Leeds ‘most keen’ to sign Lois Openda

Lois Openda has struggled since joining Juventus from RB Leipzig last summer, and the Serie A giants are keen to move him on this summer.

Juventus want to recoup most of the £35m they paid for the forward, and his representatives have been trying to shop him around in the Premier League.

Leeds are amongst the clubs contacted, but they have also been in touch with Everton and Nottingham Forest ahead of the transfer window.

However, according to TeamTalk, Leeds have shown the most interest in getting their hands on Openda ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The Whites see him as a potential excellent focal point of their attack and believe he can revive his career in the Premier League.

Leeds are said to be ready to pay significant wages to the forward and are open to signing off on an expensive loan-to-buy agreement this summer.

Openda has been open to a move to Leeds, but has several options on his table ahead of the summer.

He will be a huge gamble

From Leeds United’s perspective, this is a transfer that comes with far more questions than answers. Juventus are understood to want to recoup a significant chunk of the £35m they invested in Openda, and that alone makes it difficult to see where the value lies.

The striker’s form this season has done little to justify such an outlay. He has managed just two goals in 37 appearances in all competitions, and the fact that Juventus are already prepared to move him on should give any interested club pause for thought.

Negotiations would not be straightforward either. Juventus would ideally like a permanent sale and, even if they were open to a loan, they would almost certainly push for an obligation or option to buy as part of the agreement.

Openda’s wages are another major factor. His salary expectations are believed to be high, which further increases the overall cost of any deal.

That is where Leeds need to be particularly careful. Since returning to the Premier League, the club have taken a measured approach to spending, and investing heavily in both transfer fees and wages for a player coming off such a disappointing season would be a significant risk.