Leeds United’s shaky start to the Championship campaign is very much a distant memory now, Daniel Farke’s Whites were winless in their first three second-tier matches before exploding into life and never looking back.
The West Yorkshire club are currently occupying third spot in the notoriously competitive division, kept out of the automatic spots by seven points due to the blistering form of pace-setters Ipswich Town and Leicester City showing no signs of relenting.
Standout performers for the promotion-chasing Whites have been Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter to name but a few in attack, the Dutchman has transformed himself into being Farke’s new star-man after a mass exodus from Elland Road in the summer left the squad feeling slightly threadbare.
Summerville has eight goals and six assists playing down the channels for Leeds so far, with his partner on the opposite flank in Dan James also enjoying his season to date.
A resurgent James – who was chucked out on loan to Fulham when the unpopular Jesse Marsch was in the dug-out – is a key component to Farke’s revitalised team currently.
The ex-Manchester United man has managed six goals and four assists this season, which included a crucial headed goal last time out finding the back of the net to help Leeds overcome Middlesbrough in a barnstorming 3-2 contest.
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Rasmus Kristensen will look at this situation unfolding with cautious optimism, the Leeds full-back loaned out to AS Roma for the season after having “failed to make the step up from the Austrian Bundesliga to the Premier League”, in the words of writer Zach Lowy.
He could well still have a future at Elland Road however, his career at Leeds not fizzling out just yet.
Rasmus Kristensen’s statistics at Leeds
Joining Leeds last summer for £10m – following Brenden Aaronson in through the door from Red Bull Salzburg – there was an expectation that the right-back would be an instant hit at Leeds with significant hype around the purchase at the time.
That hype was justified, the expansive full-back had amassed an impressive 14 goals and 19 assists over three seasons playing for the Austrian outfit as a full-throttle defender, earning early praise in a Leeds shirt from pundit Noel Whelan, who dubbed him “top-class”.
Kristensen was meant to be a significant upgrade on a waning Luke Ayling at the back for the Whites, but the Scandinavian defender was a let-down in a side that failed to consistently deliver over the 38-game campaign which led to a disastrous relegation.
The 26-year-old was one part of a Leeds defence that shipped 78 goals along the way, earning the unwanted label of leakiest defence for that season.
He did show off his knack of finding the back of the net for the Whites – netting three times in the top-flight from 26 games – but it wasn’t enough for Leeds to want to keep hold of him for the drop-down to the Championship.
Kristensen will hope his performances in the Serie A to date might see him welcomed back with open arms on his return to Elland Road next year, slotting into the team alongside Dan James who is now better off himself after undergoing a redemption arc.
Rasmus Kristensen’s statistics for Roma
Kristensen has shown signs in Italy as to why Leeds paid major cash to sign him in 2022, notably in Roma’s last league encounter versus Sassuolo.
The 26-year-old loanee scored a late winner in the Serie A match, substituted on at half-time by Jose Mourinho to make an impact in the game.
Roma’s number 42 was fortunate that his strike looped into the back of the net – a wild deflection wrongfooting the opposition goalkeeper – but the Danish defender still celebrated wildly regardless with his new teammates.
This standout 45-minute display even led to Italian football publication Corriere Dello Sport giving the defender a 7.5 rating out of ten, stating that he was the ‘hero you don’t expect’.
Kristensen will pray that his Leeds career isn’t over by just continuing to perform out in Italy to make those back in England take notice, Farke surely keen to keep tabs on his loanee’s progression to see whether he’s worthy of a second chance at Elland Road in the future.
As the German tactician has seen with James, bringing a formerly exiled player in from the cold can work wonders, with Kristensen perhaps able to follow suit in 2024.
