Leeds have recently embarked on massive squad restructuring as they eye sealing Premier League promotion after 13 years in the lower divisions.
The Yorkshire club recruited more than 10 players during the summer transfer window, and have already extended the contracts of 3 important first-team players this season.
Despite the massive arrival of foreigners going on in the topflight, Leeds have plans to stay true to tradition ahead of promotion, and will make signing of homegrown players top priority.
The Whites’ Director of Football Victor Orta claims while the club will continue to bring in foreign players to the squad, they won’t be overdoing it.
The former Sevilla chief revealed after Luke Ayling signed a 4-year contract extension on Thursday: “It is true that the majority of players we have renewed so far are from England, Ireland and the UK.
“Whilst in modern football it is important to have a foreign influence in your squad, I also think it is equally as important to have a core of domestic players.
“I experienced this in my time at Sevilla, you need players in your squad who understand the fans, the league and the culture and it is then their job to show the players who come from overseas how things are done.
“Successful Leeds United squads have always had players from England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the squad and will continue this moving forward.”
Of all the 23 players manager Thomas Christiansen has used in the Championship this term, 12 are from outside Great Britain, and the Premier League rule of having 8 homegrown players within a squad should be the least of Leeds worries once they seal promotion.
