Exclusive: Lee Hendrie makes £150m claim about Leeds United should they win promotion | OneFootball

The Whites have been told how much they may need to spend if they seal a return to the top flight this season

Former Aston Villa man Lee Hendrie believes Leeds United will have to invest significantly if they are to stand any chance of surviving in the Premier League next season.

The Whites are in pole position to earn a return to the top flight as it stands, with Daniel Farke’s side topping the division with just eleven matches remaining in the Championship season.

Having already seen first hand how hard it is to remain in the division above after earning promotion, United will be keen to avoid a swift return to the EFL if they are to reach the promised land, with their last sojourn in the Premier League lasting just three seasons before relegation in 2023.

With promoted sides notoriously struggling when playing against the top teams in the division of late, Hendrie believes a nine-figure investment could be needed to make the transition a smooth one this summer, if they are to get over the line in the coming months.

Lee Hendrie makes Ipswich Town comparison as Leeds United, Premier League prediction made

There are a number of ways a club can approach their transfer business when they are making the step up from the Championship, with the focus on tried-and-tested top-flight players, or a reliance on the fearlessness of youth to take it to the best teams in the land.

A mix of the two can provide the perfect formula for success when bridging the gap, and Leeds already have a number of players who would be perfectly capable of featuring in the Premier League, given their previous credentials in their career.

Taking a look at previous examples, Hendrie cites Ipswich Town as a side who have gone the other way with things this season, with a lot of the Tractor Boys’ reported £108.9 million spending going on young stars for the future, with one eye on what the future brings, as well as the season at hand.

The Suffolk side currently find themselves at risk of immediately dropping back down to the EFL right now, and Hendrie believes Leeds are better set to adapt to the top flight given their current standard of player in their squad.

When asked about what the Yorkshire side may have to spend if they were promoted, the pundit said: “That is a tough one. You look at teams from past seasons where the top three have gone up and really struggled, and that is the problem at the moment.

“If you are a team that has got a decent foundation, which I think Leeds have at the moment, I do think they have got some really good players at the moment.

“Their home form really speaks for itself and Elland Road is a bit of a fortress, which always helps, but we are talking about the step-up to the Premier League and how much needs to be spent.

“We have seen Ipswich spend a fair it of money to try and survive in the league and have really found it difficult. I think it is all about getting the right personnel in, if anything, with probably more experience rather than youth.

“It seems to be the case that a lot of clubs that are coming into the Premier League are looking at youth to get a building approach if they inevitably get relegated, and that seems to be the case over the past few seasons that they just can’t survive.

“For some of these clubs that do get promoted, it is about building a foundation for the future where they will stand a chance if they get the opportunity again.”

Leeds United transfer spend estimation made

There is no doubting that whichever sides reach the Premier League at the end of this season, they will have to make significant additions to their squad to stand a chance of surviving for longer than 12 months.

With all signs pointing towards the three promoted sides being immediately relegated for the second season in a row, the chasm between flights one and two seems to be bigger than ever right now, with serious financial backing needed to bridge that gap when the opportunity arises.

As a result, Hendrie believes that even though Leeds have a strong side to build upon right now, the investment needed into the playing squad to make them capable of competing in the top flight is as big as ever, with his prediction for transfer expenditure reaching the nine-figure mark.

He continued: “£100 million seems like absolutely nothing when some of the clubs in the Premier League are spending that on one player, or £80 million.

“I think it is about getting the personnel, but they will need to spend and invest if they are going to survive in the Premier League, but they will have a good foundation. You are going to be talking about over £150 million if they are to survive.”