And then there were two. After another season of drama, emotion and fine margins, it all comes down to this weekend for Sheffield United and Sunderland.
The two sides will meet at Wembley on Saturday afternoon and battle it out for a place in the Premier League next season alongside Leeds United and Burnley.
For one of the sides, the dream of returning to the top flight will become a multi-million-pound reality.
The other, however, will be left licking their wounds and trying to pick themselves up ahead of the new Championship campaign in August.But it can also signal the beginning of the end, with clubs often forced to cash in on their best players after narrowly missing out on the riches of the Premier League.
And with that in mind, Leeds Live looks at a few deals that could be in the offering for Daniel Farke’s side in the off-season, depending on which side misses out on promotion on Saturday.
In the event that Sheffield United were to lose…
Leeds could do worse than add Alfie Gilchrist to their squad next season as they prepare to return to the Premier League for the first time since May 2023.
The 21-year-old defender has spent the season on loan at Sheffield United from Chelsea and has made more than 30 appearances for the Blades across all competitions.
After an impressive season at Bramall Lane, the logical next step for Gilchrist would be to spend next season testing himself in the top flight.
And if the opportunity to do that at Sheffield United doesn’t materialise, the right-back could be a shrewd addition at Elland Road next term.
In addition to Gilchrist, a loan move for the experienced Rob Holding would also be a smart move for Farke’s side.
The 29-year-old has been a valuable addition to the Blades since joining on loan from Crystal Palace in February.
But with Holding’s chances of breaking into a Palace team that has just won the FA Cup fairly slim, the opportunity to play regular first-team football elsewhere in the Premier League would surely appeal to the former Bolton defender.
Luckily for Leeds, they can offer Holding exactly that.
In the event that Sunderland were to lose…
Sticking with the theme of loan players looking for the next steps, Jayden Danns could fall into the category.
It has been a bizarre few months for the 19-year-old since joining Sunderland on loan from Liverpool in January.
The entirety of Danns’ loan spell at the Stadium of Light has been spent on the sidelines, leaving him unable to make a single appearance for the Black Cats.
However, he is highly rated at Anfield and found the back of the net during Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley earlier this season.
If he is able to put his injury problems behind him with a strong pre-season this summer, he could have a few lower-placed Premier League clubs willing to take a punt on him.
The forward’s knack of finding the back of the net at all levels could prove invaluable in Leeds’ quest to beat the drop next time out.
