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Elliott Jackson

Where Leeds United rank amongst Europe's elite clubs ahead of Premier League return

Leeds United are preparing for their return to Premier League football.

The Whites have been active in the transfer market although they will still hope to add a few more key faces before they travel to Anfield on September 12.

The blueprint has been set for Leeds by Wolves and Sheffield United in recent seasons, with the former reaching the Europa League quarter-final in their second season following promotion.

The Whites are precited to avoid a relegation battle under Marcelo Bielsa and data experts 538 have ranked Leeds just outside the top 50 sides in Europe.

This is based on Soccer Power Index (SPI) points, devised from a team's performances in the previous season, as well as their transfer strength, using data from Transfermarkt.

This is combined with the context of a team's league at the start of each season and then adjusted as the results come in, week by week.

The Whites come in at 51st, just behind West Ham but ahead of Premier League rivals such as Brighton, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, as well as European names such as Fiorentina and Valencia.

Manchester City are the best team in Europe despite missing out on the Premier League and Champions League trophies this season.

Pep Guardiola's side were 18 points off Liverpool, who claimed their first league triumph in 30 years in a recording-breaking season at Anfield.

Similarly, City came unstuck against Lyon in the Champions League quarter-final, with Bayern Munich winning the trophy against Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday.

Premier League champions Liverpool rank third in the standings with an SPI of 91.1, with City (95.5) just edging Bayern out (95.2).

Defeated Champions League finalist PSG are next on the list, with Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid following behind.

Manchester United then enter the fray at 88.2, less than 3 points behind Liverpool despite the 33-point gap between the two clubs this season.

RB Leipzig are sandwiched between United and Chelsea, with Atletico Madrid completing the top ten.

Leicester City and Wolves are the next English sides represented in 16th and 18th, respectively, with Serie A giants Juventus in between them.

Arsenal and Tottenham come in a measly 28th and 29th, with Borussia Monchengladbach, Getafe and Real Sociedad all ahead of them in the rankings.

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