Leeds United began their preseason games with a 0-0 draw with Manchester United. The Whites are testing their qualities as they are set to return to the topflight next season.
Softfootball followed as Leeds United and Manchester United played out a goalless draw at the Strawberry Arena in Stockholm with over 45,000 fans watching.
Leeds United manager, Daniel Farke had lots to say after the game that saw him see how is team will rub shoulders with the best teams next season. Farke while speaking to the club’s media called it:
“The perfect first test”
The Leeds manager has also made known that striker, Patrick Bamford will leave the club this summer. Farke explained that he had a really open and honest conversation with Patrick. He narrated their discussion as:
“He knows how much I rate him as a player and I would have preferred a fit Patrick Bamford for the last two seasons.
“But he is a player who needs to be the main man. He needs an arm round the shoulder after some difficult seasons. I was not willing to tell him he was the main man at Premier League level.
“In the second day of pre-season, I got him into my office and told him he is not in my plans for the upcoming season.
“It would have been easy for me to hide behind the sporting director or wait until we got someone else in, but he has done so much for this club, he deserves respect and transparency.”
Watch the interview posted by the club on their official X handle
🎙️ “It was a perfect first test for us” pic.twitter.com/BWLuYBdIXn
— Leeds United (@LUFC) July 19, 2025
Bamford who spent 7 years with the Whites made 205 appearances for Leeds, scoring 60 goals, since joining the club from Middlesbrough for £7m in 2018.
He has been involved in two promotion-winning campaigns and excelled on the club’s first stint back in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, when he scored 17 goals.
Softfootball will continue to monitor and report the progress of Leeds United as they gear up for another season in the Premier League. The Premier League new boys will take on Villareal on their home turf in August after which they will take a short trip to Dublin to face AC Milan.
