'Leeds should have a Champions League team!' - Kinnear insists Premier League return just 'base camp'

On the same day Leeds United wrapped up the Championship title, the club's chief executive Angus Kinnear has boldly declared they want to be a Champions League team in the years to come. 

Marcelo Bielsa's side officially ended their 16-year exile from the Premier League on Friday after a West Brom loss guaranteed their automatic promotion to the top flight. 

Leeds' season got even sweeter on Saturday with Brentford's defeat to Stoke ensuring they'll be returning to the Premier League as Championship winners. 

While a successful season for the club, Kinnear was quick to stress that he hopes this is just the beginning of the Whites' resurgence with the Champions League now in their sights. 

"Whilst we're celebrating, whilst we're all very excited, we've got back to where we belong. This really is base camp for Leeds United," Kinnear said.

"Leeds United shouldn't be a Championship side, they should be a Premier League side, so really the challenge starts now and it's about competing in the PL.

"Now it's going to be really about building on that and making sure that over the next few years we start to compete at the level Leeds should be competing in, which ultimately is the top six, and that's always been our aim.

"Leeds should have a Premier League team. Candidly, Leeds should have a Champions League team and that's the vision."

Bielsa has played a key role in securing Leeds' return to the Premier League but the Argentine manager is out of contract at the season's end with the club desperate to extend his stay at Elland Road. 

"Victor, Andrea and I will be straight in with Marcelo next week and talking about plans for next season," Kinnear said.

"He has a review, he knows the direction he wants to take the club in and it will go from things we need on the playing side, right through to changes he wants to be made at Thorp Arch and in the backroom staff, and obviously his own personal arrangements as well we need to resolve.

"The challenge with Marcelo is his intentions are always a bit of a mystery because he's always focused on the next game and you're a brave man to try to distract him from the task of the next match.

"I think he's fallen in love with the club. I think he's committed to it."

On potential transfers for Leeds over the summer, Kinnear added: "We know we need to strengthen. Targets have been identified. We're working on them already, we're working on them now - today it's started in earnest. And that recruitment is going to be the biggest challenge because the window is so short.

"With the TV money being fairly evenly spread other than the performance related element, it means we immediately have a competitive advantage if we can harness that fanbase and use those resources to compete in the transfer market.

"I think next year the team will go out every week and play swashbuckling, attacking football, will show absolutely no fear, will show no team any respect. We're not going to be scared and I think we'll give Leeds supporters another year they can be proud of."

Leeds will now finish their Championship campaign with a trip to Derby County before hosting Charlton on the final day of the season.