NafisaLeeds United made a statement of intent during the summer transfer window.
The Whites were willing to spend heavily to strengthen Daniel Farke’s squad, with the club committing around £34.1m to bring Tarik Muharemovic over from Italian football.
That has proved to be another encouraging piece of business, with Leeds continuing to receive plenty of praise for their recruitment since returning to the Premier League.
Not every signing, however, has produced the same immediate impact.
Harry Wilson was supposed to be one of those additions who could take Leeds to another level.
The Welshman arrived as a free agent following an outstanding campaign with Fulham, where he had established himself as one of the Premier League’s most productive wide players.
Yet several weeks into his Leeds career, the 29-year-old is still waiting to reproduce that form at Elland Road.
And with his place in Farke’s starting XI already under pressure, Leeds may have a potential long-term alternative developing much closer to home.
Why Leeds signed Harry Wilson:
Leeds supporters have already seen the value of smart free transfers.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived at Elland Road without a transfer fee after leaving Everton, despite reportedly having plenty of options available to him.
The striker has since settled superbly in Yorkshire.
In 2026/27, he has scored four goals in seven matches, having previously been described by Farke as the “best English striker in the Premier League” last season.
That made the decision to bring Wilson in on a free transfer look equally sensible.
Few wingers in the Premier League had produced more consistently than Wilson during the 2025/26 campaign.
Playing for a Fulham side that did not exactly overwhelm opponents with attacking firepower, the Welshman still managed 11 goals and eight assists.
His left foot was capable of causing serious problems for defenders, while his ability to create chances and deliver from wide areas made him one of the more attractive free agents available during the summer.
Leeds had good reason to believe they were getting a player capable of adding another layer to their attack.
Their wide options had not always produced consistently last season outside of Noah Okafor, making Wilson’s arrival particularly logical.
But things have not gone according to plan.
Why Harry Wilson has struggled at Leeds
Wilson’s arrival represented something of a statement despite Leeds not having to pay a transfer fee.
There was reported interest from several Premier League clubs, yet it was Elland Road that ultimately became his destination.
Aston Villa and Everton were among those linked with the forward, but Leeds won the race.
So far, however, Wilson has struggled to justify the excitement surrounding his arrival.
He has made six appearances without scoring, registering just one assist, which came in the Carabao Cup.
More concerningly, he has not established himself as a regular starter.
Wilson was absent from the squad altogether for the Crystal Palace match, while he began the Brighton and Newcastle games on the bench.
He played just 17 minutes against Brighton and another 18 minutes during Leeds’ impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle.
The latter was particularly revealing.
Leeds managed to score four goals against the Magpies despite Wilson spending the overwhelming majority of the match on the bench.
That is obviously a reflection of how well the team is functioning, but it also highlights the difficulty Wilson currently faces in forcing his way into Farke’s best XI.
His underlying numbers provide a mixed picture.
Wilson ranks among the top 15% of comparable Premier League wingers for chances created per 90 minutes, averaging 2.47.
But he sits much lower for successful dribbles, while his touches inside the opposition box are also among the weaker figures for players in his position.
Most strikingly, his average of just 0.62 shots per 90 minutes puts him among the bottom 3% of comparable players.
For an attacking player wearing Leeds’ No.10 shirt, that is an obvious area for improvement.
Which raises the obvious question.
If Wilson cannot rediscover his Fulham form, could Leeds already have somebody capable of eventually taking his place?
How Leeds can replace Harry Wilson long-term:
Wilson initially operated as an attacking midfielder behind Calvert-Lewin during Leeds’ opening two Premier League matches.
However, Farke has increasingly favoured Noah Okafor ahead of him.
Given Leeds’ 3-5-2 system, that decision is understandable.
Okafor showed during the latter stages of last season just how dangerous he can be when operating at his best, scoring six goals across his final seven appearances of the 2025/26 campaign.
For now, Wilson therefore appears to have fallen down the pecking order.
But there is another player beginning to make serious noise behind the scenes.
His name is Harvey Vincent.
The 19-year-old right winger has made an exceptional start to the new campaign with Leeds’ development side and has already attracted attention with his performances in Premier League 2.
Vincent was recently nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for September after producing one goal and three assists in just two matches during the month.
Across the campaign as a whole, he has registered two goals and five assists in seven appearances.
That represents a significant improvement on last season.
Vincent scored only four goals across 17 appearances in 2025/26, with no official assists recorded.
His underlying numbers are arguably even more interesting.
The teenager ranks among the finest 5% of comparable Premier League 2 players for assists per 90 minutes this season.
He is also among the top 7% for big chances created per 90, averaging 0.75.
And there is evidence that Vincent can beat defenders himself.
His 1.25 successful dribbles per 90 places him ahead of 80% of comparable players in Premier League 2.
There is, of course, a major step between producing numbers at youth level and succeeding in the Premier League.
Vincent has yet to make his first-team debut, so it would be premature to expect him to immediately replace an experienced Premier League player.
But that is not really the point.
Leeds do not need to rush him.
If Vincent continues producing performances of this quality, Farke will eventually have to start considering whether the youngster deserves an opportunity with the senior side.
And that could make his development particularly fascinating to follow alongside Wilson’s situation.
For now, Wilson has time to turn things around.
He has already demonstrated at Fulham that he can score and create consistently at Premier League level, and Leeds clearly believe there is still plenty to come from their summer signing.
But football moves quickly.
If Wilson cannot rediscover that spark, Leeds may already have the foundations of a long-term solution sitting within their own academy.
Harvey Vincent still has plenty of development ahead of him.
Yet with two goals, five assists and a string of eye-catching performances already under his belt this season, the 19-year-old is making it increasingly difficult for Leeds to ignore his progress.
The No.10 shirt may belong to Wilson for now.
But if Vincent keeps producing like this, it may not be his forever.
Nafisa
