It was a summer of change for Leeds United after they were relegated from the Premier League after three seasons at the top of the football pyramid.
The Whites brought in German boss Daniel Farke to lead the way back to the top-flight and it was a busy transfer window full of exits and arrivals at Elland Road.
Joe Rodon, Joel Piroe, Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, Djed Spence, Sam Byram, Karl Darlow, Jaidon Anthony, and Ethan Ampadu all came through the door to bolster the manager’s squad.
However, the ex-Norwich City chief also lost a host of first-team options as the likes of Robin Koch, Max Wober, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Rodrigo, among others, moved on – either on loan or permanently.
Leeds lost a significant goal threat from out wide when they allowed Harrison to join Everton on loan, with an option to buy, and it remains unlikely that Dan James will be able to step up in that respect, as the Welsh forward has scored once in nine Championship outings this term.
Farke could, therefore, need to dip into the market in January to finally replace the ex-Manchester City winger and Amad Diallo could emerge as the perfect option.
Were Leeds interested in Amad Diallo in the summer?
The Mirror reported that the Whites were interested in signing the Manchester United forward on loan for the 2023/24 campaign during the summer transfer window.
He spent the 2022/23 season on loan with Sunderland and Leeds were hoping to snap up a proven performer at this level to bolster their squad following their relegation from the top-flight.
However, a knee injury in pre-season for the Red Devils put any temporary move on ice and the Whites were unable to complete a swoop for the exciting attacker.
It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that Diallo is now set to be available for a loan move in January after recovering from his fitness issue.
The outlet has stated that United are now prepared to listen to offers for the Ivory Coast international and that Sunderland are confident of being able to bring him back to the Stadium of Light.
This suggests that Leeds have a chance of being able to secure his services for the second half of the campaign if they are able to convince him to turn down a reunion with Tony Mowbray on Wearside to move to Yorkshire.
They could finally find their new left-footed goalscoring winger if they are able to do so, which would mean that they would have their replacement for Harrison in the building ahead of his possible permanent exit next summer.
How many goals did Harrison score for Leeds?
The English wizard scored 34 goals in 206 appearances in all competitions for the Whites over the course of five full seasons at the club.
He only scored ten goals in his first two Championships campaigns combined under Marcelo Bielsa but then developed into a reliable scoring option from out wide at Premier League level.
Harrison contributed with 16 top-flight goals across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons combined, to go along with nine assists, and then managed five goals and seven assists in 36 league outings last term.
Statistic | Jack Harrison vs Bournemouth (07/10/2023) |
|---|---|
Sofascore rating | 8.1 |
Goals | One |
Assists | One |
Dribbles completed | Two |
Harrison’s most recent performance for Everton (via Sofascore) | |
The left-footed ace, who has made a strong start to his career with the Toffees as shown in the table above, was the club’s second-top scorer in each of his first two Premier League seasons with Leeds – scoring eight in each.
This highlights how important his goalscoring contributions were to the club during that period as he was one of their main sources of goals from a wide position.
Diallo’s form for Sunderland last season suggests that he has the quality to come in and also provide a significant scoring threat as a left-footed winger during the second half of the campaign.
How many goals did Diallo score for Sunderland?
The 21-year-old wizard scored 14 goals in 42 matches in all competitions for the Black Cats as he delivered a number of impressive performances in front of goal.
All 14 of those goals came in the league for Mowbray’s side and he ended the season as their top scorer – with four more than any of his teammates.
In fact, Diallo ranked within the top 14% of his positional peers at Championship level for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.35), which suggests that he was one of the best in his position at finding the back of the net from open play.
The £29k-per-week dynamo, who was described as “unbelievable” by journalist Josh Bunting, also excelled at progressing the play for his team to get into dangerous areas.
He ranked within the top 6% of wingers and attacking midfielders for progressive passes (5.12) and the top 15% for progressive carries (3.72) per 90.
This suggests that the Ivory Coast international could spearhead the attack with his ability to drive forward with the ball, via carries or passes, whilst also having the quality to get on the end of attacks to score goals.
Should Leeds sign Diallo?
Therefore, Farke and Leeds must reignite their summer interest in Diallo and take advantage of this potential opportunity to land the 21-year-old ace on loan for the second half of the season.
His impressive statistics for Sunderland last term suggest that he could be an excellent replacement for Harrison, whose goals have not been replaced as of yet.
The aforementioned James has scored one goal in ten games in all competitions this season and has only found the back of the net five times in 50 matches for the club in total.
He has not proven himself to be a reliable scorer from a right wing position throughout his time at Elland Road so far and there is no evidence to suggest that his record is going to undergo a significant improvement any time soon.
This means that Diallo could come in and be a consistent scorer for Leeds from out wide, as he has already showcased his talent in that respect at Championship level over the last 18 months, which is why he could be a fantastic signing.
