While Leeds were in an FA Cup action against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon, they will resume their bid for Championship promotion on Friday with a trip to Bristol City. As it stands, the Whites are sitting in fourth place, one point behind Southampton in third and two back from Ipswich in the automatic promotion spots, albeit having played a game more.
There’s still a real possibility that Daniel Farke could strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline on Thursday, with plenty of talk around the possibility of a move for Bournemouth’s David Brooks. The Cherries weren’t sure on their plan for Brooks earlier in the window, but there was a feeling that he may become available in the last few days of trading.
Speaking after he scored in Bournemouth’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Swansea on Thursday night, Brooks said that he’d “love” to stay at the Vitality Stadium but confirmed that he’s willing to “explore the opportunities elsewhere” if football isn’t “guaranteed”.
Meanwhile, manager Andoni Iraola sounded open to letting the player leave, provided that Bournemouth can find a replacement and the finances involved “work for everyone”.
“Unplayable” Brooks the subject of Leeds interest
Writing on Twitter, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook reported that along with Southampton, Leeds are showing an interest in Brooks as we approach the deadline.
He noted that Brooks was “unplayable” against Swansea and had shown his suitors that he would be a “great addition” for a side looking to climb back into the Premier League.
Brooks was indeed the star of the show for his side in their meeting with the Swans as they netted five times inside the first half, as you can see in the table below. In addition to his aforementioned goal, he laid two more on a plate for his teammates and created three chances overall.
David Brooks stats vs Swansea | Total |
|---|---|
Goals | 1 |
Shots | 3 |
Assists | 2 |
Key passes | 3 |
Big chances created | 2 |
Brooks looked too good for Championship opposition, and he has enjoyed success in the second tier in the past, having represented both Sheffield United and Bournemouth at that level. In the 2020/21 season, he notched 11 direct goal contributions in 32 league games to fire the south-coast club into the play-offs, and with 0.21 expected assists per 90 minutes, he was one of the best playmakers in the division going by the underlying numbers.
Brooks, of course, would then miss virtually the entirety of the season that followed after his cancer diagnosis, but has thankfully returned to playing. His comments above show that he remains as ambitious as ever, and you can see why he may feel limited by his current situation. Iraola has only named him in the starting lineup for two league games so far, and he’s left him unused on the bench seven times.
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It’s worth noting that there’s an added layer to this particular transfer battle given the relative positions of Southampton and Leeds in the table, so the outcome could be particularly significant in shaping this season’s promotion race.
