Leeds United have made a blistering start to the summer window with a combined £35million double swoop for Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen - but they haven’t pleased ex-Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson. The duo arrived at Elland Road with Champions League and international experience, and both will improve areas that were exposed to the vulnerabilities of ageing players last season.
The decisive spending is a sign that those in charge at Elland Road have taken lessons from the mistakes of last season, in which a poor summer window with only two senior signings - Junior Firpo and Dan James - laid bare a thin squad and left it open to injuries. They have since been joined by the arrival of Spanish midfielder Marc Roca from Bayern Munich.
But despite this, former Whites stopper and Sky Sports pundit Robinson claimed that neither Aaronson or Kristensen ‘fill you with excitement’ and said they would not soften the blow of selling Kalvin Phillips or Raphinha.
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“Kristensen and Aaronson are not players who fill you with excitement from a Leeds fan’s point of view.” Robinson told MOT Leeds News . “They’re not players you think are going to immediately have an impact and keep you in the Premier League. The last thing Leeds want is to be 17th again and just about staying in the Premier League.
“They need to invest properly in this side and the manager needs to get some proper players in, players who are tried and tested and players who are going to excite the Leeds fans. If there’s a potential of them losing Kalvin Phillips or Raphinha, Aaronson and Kristensen aren’t going to soften any type of blow.”
Ultimately, both of the former Salzburg players played regularly in the Champions League last season as the Austrian side made it to the knockout stages and drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in the round-of-16 first-leg, with Aaronson getting the assist. They represent an improvement on the players they look likely to replace - Luke Ayling and Rodrigo - and both understand the playing style of Jesse Marsch.
Losing Phillips or Raphinha would be a tough one to take for Whites fans, but neither of the previous signings - nor the imminent Marc Roca - were signed as replacements or successors to their key men, they were signed as additions. Leeds’ nerve in replacing their key men - most likely Phillips, who looks set to join Manchester City - will be under scrutiny, but the club are reportedly looking at RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams as a potential incoming.
Aaronson and Kristensen, meanwhile, will be looking to prove some pessimists wrong quickly.
