Leeds United extended their unbeaten run to six matches as they came away with a 3-2 win over Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday.
The Whites have now won five of their last six league games and sit third within the division – seven points off the automatic promotion places and eight points behind Leicester City in first.
Daniel Farke was brought in over the summer in order to lead the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after they were relegated from the top-flight at the end of last season.
The German head coach arrived with a proven track record at this level as he had won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City, which shows that the impressive tactician knows how to get teams out of this league.
After his arrival, the board decided to back him in the transfer market as they allowed Farke to bring in nine new recruits whilst working alongside Nick Hammond.
Joel Piroe, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, Djed Spence, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Jaidon Anthony, and Sam Byram were all snapped up.
Farke came in with proven Championship pedigree and the likes of Piroe, Rodon, Spence, Anthony, and Byram all came in with experience in the second tier.
The head coach could now repeat the blinder he played with the signing of Swansea’s star marksman in a swoop for Ben Brereton Diaz.
Leeds transfer news – Ben Brereton Diaz
Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that the Villarreal forward is “one to watch” as a potential target for the Whites as his spell in Spain has not gone to plan thus far.
The reporter revealed that the Chile international has been a long-standing name on the recruitment list at Elland Road and they could have the opportunity to bring him to Yorkshire in 2014.
Jacobs has stated, however, that the current indications are that Brereton Diaz would like to see out the season in LaLiga in order to fight for his place.
It may not be up to him, though, as TEAMtalk reported in November that Villarreal are prepared to send him out on loan for the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
The outlet claimed that Burnley, Southampton, West Brom, Leicester, and Crystal Palace are all keeping tabs on the exciting winger as they eye up a possible January swoop for his services.
This suggests that the Spanish side could push him out of the door at the start of next year after his poor start to life in Spain and a host of English sides appear ready to offer him a lifeline.
Leeds could, therefore, face significant competition for his signature and it would, in that case, require Farke to convince the player that a move to Elland Road is the perfect next step for his career.
If he can do that then the German boss could replicate the masterclass that was played with the signing of Piroe over the summer, who was also a proven Championship forward.
Why Piroe has been a good signing for Leeds
The Whites swooped to sign the Dutch marksman from divisional rivals Swansea for a reported fee that is in excess of £10m after two impressive seasons with the Welsh outfit.
He racked up 19 goals and two assists in 43 league appearances for the Swans throughout the 2022/23 campaign ahead of his big-money switch to Yorkshire.
His best season for Swansea came during his debut season in English football, though, after his transfer from Dutch giant PSV in 2021. The left-footed ace plundered 22 goals and six assists in 45 league outings.
These statistics show that Leeds signed a proven Championship performer who had already showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
The 24-year-old finisher has carried his impressive form over to Leeds with an excellent return of eight goals and one assist in 16 league appearances this season.
He has averaged a goal every other game and that would leave him on a tally of between 21 and 22 league goals if he continues that form and remains available for the remainder of the campaign.
This shows that Piroe has hit the ground running to become an instant star at Elland Road, and his prior experience at this level with Swansea played an important part in that as he did not need any time to adjust to the division.
The statistics that show why Brereton Diaz could be Piroe 2.0
Brereton Diaz could now follow in the Dutch ace’s footsteps as another proven Championship forward who knows what it takes to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch at this level.
Statistic | Brereton Diaz in 23/24 LaLiga (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
Appearances | 11 |
Starts | Two |
Sofascore rating | 6.51 |
Goals | Zero |
Assists | Zero |
Big chances created | Zero |
Duel success rate | 29% |
As you can see in the table above, the versatile attacker has endured a poor first half of the season with Villarreal since his move to Spain on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers over the summer.
However, those statistics are not a fair reflection of the qualities that he could bring with him to Elland Road if Leeds sign him in January or at the end of the campaign.
Brereton Diaz, who was once dubbed an “extraordinary” talent by ex-boss Tony Mowbray, proved himself to be a lethal Championship attacker throughout his final two seasons with Blackburn before his switch to Spanish football.
The 6 foot 1 whiz scored 14 goals, produced four assists, and created eight ‘big chances’ in 43 appearances for Rovers throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
That came after an outstanding return of 22 goals, three assists, and three ‘big chances’ created in 37 Championship matches the previous season.
These statistics show that Brereton Diaz, who can play through the middle or out wide on either flank, has the quality to produce goals and assists at an impressive rate in the second tier of English football, as Piroe had also proven prior to his move to the club.
This suggests that the talented ace, who still has room and time to develop at the age of 24, could come in and hit the ground running during the second half of the season to provide Leeds with a boost in their bid to win promotion back to the top-flight.
