Highlights
- Leeds United need a new defender after Liam Cooper was ruled out for an extended period.
- Daniel Farke could turn to a £15m Premier League starlet as a result.
- They rank highly for interceptions and progressive passing.
Leeds United are running out of time to replace their numerous outgoings in the summer transfer market and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of a potential target.
Who could Leeds United sign this summer?
According to journalist and transfer insider Peter O’Rourke, Leeds United are preparing a big-money move for a new defender.
As per a report written for Football Insider, O’Rourke claims that the Whites are keen to strengthen their defensive presence following the injury to Liam Cooper and are preparing lucrative offers for Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips.
How long is Liam Cooper out for?
Daniel Farke has not had the fairytale start to his new challenge at Elland Road with numerous departures of key players and injuries piling up over the last few weeks.
Since returning to action in the Championship and Carabao Cup this season, Leeds have conceded in all three of their fixtures played with two goals conceded against Cardiff City preventing them from securing their first victory of the campaign, whilst they also conceded in their 2-1 win over Shrewsbury Town and most recently, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City last weekend.
Whilst Patrick Bamford’s hamstring injury in pre-season has been a substantial blow to the West Yorkshire outfit, the biggest loss has clearly been the dominant and experienced presence of Liam Cooper.
Cooper rolled his ankle on the opening day of the campaign when he scored Leeds’ first goal in the clash, and it was later revealed by the club that the defender would not be available for selection for at least eight weeks whilst he recovers.
How good is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?
As a result of that injury, the signing of Harwood-Bellis could not come at a better time for Farke, as what the England U21 star lacks in first-team football experience compared to Cooper, he makes up for in reliability and talent in the centre-back role.
The Manchester City youth academy graduate – who has a reported price tag of £15m – has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months after playing a key role on loan in Burnley’s Premier League promotion success and winning the European Championship with the England U21s.
Over 32 Championship appearances last season, the 21-year-old – hailed a “powerful presence” by journalist Josh Bunting – kept 11 clean sheets, won 63% of his aerial and ground duels combined and tallied up an 85% pass completion rate, as per SofaScore, proving he is an incredibly dominant and composed defender.
Not only that, Harwood-Bellis was one of the highest performing in his position across the Men’s Next Eight competitions over the last 12 months per 90 minutes played – ranking in the top 15% of his peers for interceptions, progressive passes, shot-creating actions and assists, as per FBref.
With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for the Leeds hierarchy to push forward with a concrete move for Harwood-Bellis over the remaining weeks of the transfer window, as he could become a huge asset to the club in their pursuit of winning promotion back to the top-flight.
