Leeds United They still have a lot of football to play between now and the end of the season in their bid for automatic promotion to the top flight Premier League The second time of asking.
The Whites failed to finish in the top two in the 2023-24 season, finishing third in the table, eventually losing to Southampton 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium in May.
Daniel Wake His men hope to avoid repeating this failure by occupying first or second place in the tournament championship This time, they're going to do just that.
A 4-0 thrashing of Oxford United at Elland Road on Saturday ensured they remained second in the table, three points behind Sheffield United, ahead of Christmas Day.
However, the January transfer window is just around the corner, and the Whites could look to boost their chances of achieving automatic promotion by entering the market to bolster their options across the pitch.
One area of the pitch that could be addressed is central midfield, and the player Farke previously wanted at Elland Road in that position was Norwich City star Kenny McLean.
Leeds United offer to sign Kenny McLean
In the summer of 2023, shortly after the German's arrival in West Yorkshire, Leeds were interested in a deal to sign the Scottish international from the Canary Islands.
It was reported that the eggs had An offer worth £4 million Norwich rejected it for the former Aberdeen star, who later put pen to paper New contract On Caro Road.
He could have arrived as someone Farke trusts because he was a starter for the German coach in two title-winning seasons, in 2018/19 and 2020/21, with McLean. He played 114 matches In all of his competitions during their time together.
The Whites would have signed an experienced midfielder who knows exactly what it takes to gain automatic promotion from the Championship, having done so twice with the Leeds boss at Norfolk.
After the West Yorkshire side failed to reach an agreement for McLean, the Scotland international played a key role in the Canaries reaching their semi-final clash with Leeds.
|
Championship 23/24 |
Kenny McLean |
|---|---|
|
It starts |
46 |
|
It created great opportunities |
7 |
|
Passing accuracy |
84% |
|
– Tackles + interceptions per match |
3.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
59% |
As you can see in the table above, the 32-year-old star has started all 46 of his league matches and has provided quality as a midfielder, with contributions at both ends of the pitch.
McLean is a dynamic midfielder who can provide quality in possession, through his creative passing, while also being able to hold his own defensively, winning most of his physical contests in the tournament.
Rather than re-signing the experienced player, Farke could find his new version of McLean in the January window by pouncing on one of the club's announced transfer targets.
Leeds United's interest in the English midfielder
back in november, And the sun revealed Leeds are one of the clubs interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien, who is currently on loan with Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
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The report claimed that Los Angeles have an option to make the deal permanent for £7m when the January transfer window opens, but there are English teams willing to compete with them to sign him.
It was reported that Leeds and Hull have inquired about a possible deal for the former Huddersfield Town star, who is settled in America and wants to stay there in the long term.
Football Insider added That the Whites have long admired O'Brien and that Marcelo Bielsa once wanted to bring him to Elland Road, and came close to doing so.
The report added that Nottingham Forest considered him surplus to requirements, hence the £7m purchase option on his loan contract with Los Angeles, and he is set to be available in the January transfer window.
However, it will be up to Leeds to convince O'Brien that a move to Elland Road before the second half of the season is a better option than remaining in the MLS with his loan club.
Why should Leeds sign Louis O'Brien?
The Whites should try to sign the left-footed midfielder as he could come as a new Farke version of McLean in midfield, as an experienced and dynamic No. 8 who can provide quality on and off the ball.
According to FBref, McLean is one of the players most similar to O'Brien in the following 14 men's competitions (outside the top five leagues and European competitions) over the past 365 days, based on their respective statistics.
As you can see in the chart above, the two central midfielders rank incredibly similarly on a range of actions, both defensively and offensively, per 90 for LAFC and Norwich respectively.
They are both progressive players who like to push the ball forward to find teammates in dangerous positions. McLean averaged 5.78 progressive passes per 90, while O'Brien averaged 6.11 per 90 In MLS – standings top 25% of his positional peers in the following 14 men's competitions.
|
2024 American League |
Louis O'Brien |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
13 |
|
Key passes for each match |
1.8 |
|
Passing accuracy |
88% |
|
– Tackles + interceptions per match |
3.3 |
|
Recovering the ball in every game |
5.6 |
As you can see in the table above, the £7m star can also provide a defensive presence in the middle of the park, with 8.9 tackles, interceptions and recoveries per game in the AFL this year.
The 26-year-old dynamo who was He described it as “very special.” He could come in, under former Leeds boss Carlos Corberan, to provide Farke with another left-footed option in that position, as the injured Elia Gruev is the only left-footed midfielder at this time.
With Joe Rothwell's loan expiring at the end of the season, O'Brien could also be a long-term solution for the club, which is why he could be an excellent addition to the squad.
