Leeds United have a history of shrewd free-agent signings, from Champions League winners to cult heroes

Leeds United will be aiming to strengthen their squad this summer as Daniel Farke prepares to begin a second successive Premier League season. The club's return to the top tier last campaign was packed with memorable moments, as they secured a respectable 14th-place finish.

Farke will be hoping to improve upon this outcome with new arrivals on the horizon. Activity is already underway at Elland Road, with Harry Wilson poised to arrive from Fulham on a free transfer, Pascal Struijk having departed for Brighton and an improved bid submitted for Southampton's Shea Charles.

Farke may continue to draw inspiration from Leeds' previous free-agent triumphs as he manages his summer spending carefully. Here, Mirror Football has examined three free agents who previously made the switch to Elland Road.

Kiko Casilla

Kiko Casilla made his maiden move overseas by joining Leeds on a free transfer in 2019, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. The shot-stopper had previously represented Real Madrid, claiming three Champions Leagues and the La Liga crown during his spell at the club.

He also secured one cap for Spain, appearing for the closing moments in a friendly defeat to Germany in 2014. He featured 62 times across three campaigns for Leeds, recording 23 clean sheets and played his part in their promotion to the Premier League during the 2019/20 season.

He departed by mutual consent in 2022 and linked up with Getafe just weeks later, putting pen to paper on a one-year contract. He retired in 2023 at the age of 36.

Pablo Hernandez

Pablo Hernandez joined Leeds during their Championship days in 2016 following stints at the likes of Swansea City, Valencia and Al-Arabi. The attacking midfielder cemented himself as a cult figure thanks to his exploits during the 2019/20 campaign, netting vital goals to pile pressure on West Brom at the summit of the table.

Across five seasons at Elland Road, Hernandez found the net 36 times and laid on 41 assists in 175 outings as he played his part in Leeds' long-awaited return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. He was voted the club's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year on three occasions, during the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns.

Former manager Marcelo Bielsa heaped praise on the Spain international, claiming the veteran had "made me a better head coach."

He said: "I think he can make me a better head coach because I see solutions in the decisions he is taking. I only saw this a very few times during my career. Maybe I saw this in players who played in different positions, in the middle of the pitch, but to have such an influence when you play on the side is not usual.

"His style is something that wakens in the rival the desire to neutralise him because he always intervenes, making actions more fluid. He has an influence, he intervenes in very small spaces and he makes the play of his team-mates a lot easier. He really is a player that improves his team-mates."

Hernandez departed in 2021 to a chorus of support from the club and headed back to Spain to sign for Castellon. He hung up his boots in 2023 at the age of 38.

Sam Byram

Sam Byram was a homegrown academy prospect who caught Neil Warnock's eye in 2012, making his Leeds debut at Elland Road in a 4-0 League Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town. During his initial spell with the club, the full-back would rack up 141 appearances and score 10 goals, while also providing 12 assists.

He would transfer to West Ham United in January 2016 for around £3.7m. There, Byram would feature 36 times and register just two assists before being loaned out to Nottingham Forest and ultimately signing for Norwich City in 2019.

The full-back would operate across the entire defensive line for Norwich, clocking up 54 appearances and finding the net once from a left-back role. His free transfer return to Leeds arrived in the summer of 2023, where he stayed until this year.

The 32-year-old helped his boyhood club clinch the Championship title during the 2024/25 season and put pen to paper on a fresh deal to stay at the club for their top-flight return last campaign. However, he managed just five outings throughout the season, with four of those coming as a substitute and 71 minutes of a Carabao Cup second round defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.