Leeds United, Hull City, Sheffield United and Barnsley FC questions answered in Yorkshire football Q&A

Leeds United, Hull City, Sheffield United and Barnsley FC questions answered in Yorkshire football Q&A Leeds United, Hull City, Barnsley, Bradford City and more are covered in our Yorkshire football Q&A Competitive club football has not yet returned, but July is an incredibly exciting period for fans nonetheless. Transfer developments have supporters on the edge of their seats and serious conversations about prospects for the season ahead take place. Readers of The Yorkshire Post have pitched questions to our team of football writers - and they have now been waded through. Leeds United Who are Leeds United looking at signing after getting Tarik Muharemović and Harry Wilson? There is a huge appetite for signings among Leeds fans and understandably so. When the club were last promoted to the Premier League, they did not follow up on a fantastic first season back in the top flight with a strong summer window. Junior Firpo, Dan James and Jack Harrison were the only senior signings in 2021 - and Harrison had already been on loan in West Yorkshire for three years. They may not have been relegated until 2023, but that window set the wheels in motion for it in my opinion. Leeds are admirers of Shea Charles at Southampton, but the Saints appear to be digging their heels in and demanding a hefty fee. We understand the club are still on the trail of former Borussia Dortmund playmaker Julian Brandt, although he does have a lot of admirers. If Leeds win the race for the 30-year-old, they will have fended off some big names. You would expect a new goalkeeper to come in after Karl Darlow’s exit and Manchester City’s James Trafford continues to be linked. That would be a huge statement of intent. We understand Leeds do like Liverpool playmaker Harvey Elliott, although he is believed to have generated a lot of Premier League interest. Midtjylland forward Franculino Djú has been linked but he is not a player we understand Leeds are currently pursuing. Hull City It’s been fairly slow on the transfer front, can we expect activity to pick up before the Manchester United game? Yes. To go into the Premier League with Jack Butland and Oscar Zambrano as your only new signings would be akin to going into a gunfight with a knife. Butland and Zambrano are both sensible signings but Hull’s squad needs a lot of work. It was not a squad many believed was capable of promotion last year, never mind one capable of staying in the Premier League. The centre of midfield appears to be a strong area of focus for the Tigers and you would expect some attacking reinforcement to ease the goalscoring burden on Oli McBurnie. Joe Gelhardt has been left out of Leeds United’s squad for their pre-season tour of the USA, which would suggest he is free to seek pastures new. Given how well he did for the Tigers last term, it would not be a surprise to see him head back to East Yorkshire. Hull’s owner Acun Ilicali recently told talkSPORT: “Think about us like a volcano. It’s boiling right now and it’s going to erupt.” I reckon that says it all. Sheffield United How much of an impact do you think the loss of parachute payments will have on Sheffield United? It certainly puts some challenging limits on Sheffield United but it does not necessarily have to blunt the Blades. Flexing strong financial muscles does not always lead to success - just look at the club’s business last summer. They need to box clever. It may be a case of signing rough diamonds that need a bit of polishing rather than splashing out for the established name. Andre Brooks heading out and Romelle Donovan coming in on loan from Brentford is a good example. It is arguably a risk given Donovan has not had much senior exposure, but there is every chance he could be a gem. That being said, Chris Wilder will not want to do without established figures. Older heads who do not command big fees - or fees at all - could prove tempting. Matt Doherty recently became the club’s first permanent signing of the window and I really wasn’t surprised. Chris Wilder talks about ‘culture-carriers’ a lot and Doherty is the type of seasoned operator who can be invaluable in a side that may have to lean a bit more heavily on inexperience. Barnsley What have you made of Barnsley’s transfer business this summer? Big fees are not being forked out and that tends to get fans antsy. I understand why, and if I was putting together a list of the League One clubs I am confident will be challenging for promotion, I probably wouldn’t be putting Barnsley on it. That being said, I think recruitment has been well-tailored to Daniel Stendel. There has been a real focus on young and mobile athletes who will be able to get around the pitch and work in a high-octane system. Stendel can make a team greater than the sum of its parts, just as he did during his first Oakwell tenure. If he is given a squad of committed athletes with potential, with some experience sprinkled throughout the spine, they could well end up being a surprise package. Bradford City Are Bradford City well-positioned to challenge for promotion again next season? I wouldn’t be quick to rule out another promotion push. If they are in and among the contenders again next season, it will be testament to the work of a recruitment team who have been dealt some difficult cards. In Curtis Tilt, Max Power and Jenson Metcalfe, they have lost three key figures from the spine of the side. There was always the risk of Metcalfe being lured to the Championship, but I was quite surprised to see Tilt and Power go. If the players they have brought in can plug those gaps, they should be well-equipped for another promotion tilt. He will not be replacing any of the aforementioned, but forward Jake Beesley is one to look out for. I saw a lot of him during his early days as a loanee at Bradford (Park Avenue), and he’s got a lot of attributes the fans at Valley Parade will love. His old Avenue boss, Mark Bower, offered a really fascinating insight in an interview with us last month. Huddersfield Town Are Huddersfield Town taking a risk going into the season with Martin Drury as head coach? I understand the trepidation regarding Drury’s lack of managerial experience, but he is not someone who has been plucked from complete obscurity. He is highly thought of in coaching circles and has worked for the likes of Manchester United, Valencia and Brentford in recent years. You simply do not get gigs at those clubs if you are clueless. There is of course an element of risk, but there is with every managerial appointment. There is perhaps more worry at Huddersfield because the club’s track record of inexperienced hires is not great. It did not work out for the likes of Danny Schofield, Mark Fotheringham and Lee Grant, but seasoned operators Michael Duff and Andre Breitenreiter did not succeed either. It is not always about the miles on the clock. Yorkshire clubs Which young players should we look out for this season? Yorkshire is home to bustling cities, beautiful countryside and an absolute bucketload of talented young footballers. Harry Gray is not exactly an obscure name for me to pick but you would fancy him to really kick on after joining Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Leeds United. He is a frighteningly tricky forward who can also play out wide, and will have learnt plenty from his EFL crash course at Rotherham United last season. Another Wednesday youngster to look out for is 17-year-old forward Will Grainger, who introduced himself at senior level in difficult circumstances last season. He may not be a kid anymore, but 21-year-old Huddersfield Town midfielder Tom Iorpenda is someone I think could make a real impact this term. The Terriers sent him on loan to Notts County last summer and it was a move that has accelerated his development. I would also be looking out for Ryan Oné at Sheffield United, Cruz Ibeh at Middlesbrough and Cohen Lee at Rotherham United.