After convincingly beating automatic promotion rivals Ipswich Town 4-0 just before Christmas, Leeds United crashed back down to reality away at Preston North End in their next Championship encounter, with the Whites succumbing to a 2-1 defeat late on at Deepdale.
Daniel Farke’s men weren’t helped by Illan Meslier in goal, the Leeds shot-stopper lashing out at a Preston man meaning the second-tier giants played the majority of the second 45 minutes with ten men.
Leeds weren’t at their potent best going forward either in the contest, way off the standards set in the demolition job of the Tractor Boys previously – only mustering up two shots on target on an off-day for the likes of Joel Piroe and Georginio Rutter.
Farke could, therefore, attempt to sign this tricky winger in January to further help out the forwards at Elland Road and share the goal-load away from heavily relying on Crysencio Summerville to conjure up moments of magic to get his team out of many sticky situations.
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Leeds lightweight who lost nine duels let Farke down badly alongside Meslier
The young defender endured a difficult afternoon at Deepdale on Boxing Day.
This signing could also soften the blow of Wilfried Gnonto’s expected departure from West Yorkshire when the transfer window reopens, this transfer into the building an upgrade on the diminutive Italian attacker.
Leeds transfer latest – Ryan Kent
Last month, TEAMTalk reported on the possibility that Ryan Kent’s current club Fenerbahce would be open to loaning the ex-Rangers man out in January – the 27-year-old winger failing to acclimatise to his new surroundings in Turkey after joining on a free transfer.
Frenzied interest in Kent’s services from a number of suitors could be forthcoming therefore, being able to land the English attacker on a short-term basis to positively enhance your team a no-brainer move to attempt to pull off.
Leeds and AFC Bournemouth were named as interested parties, according to the report, the Whites hopeful of jumping to the front of the queue owing to Gnonto potentially leaving.
Football Insider have recently reported that Farke’s men are open to selling Gnonto now, after batting away interest in their number 29 from Everton in the summer.
Signing Kent would appease any Leeds masses disappointed by Gnonto leaving immediately, Leeds hopeful of getting the best out of the left winger again even after a torrid time in Turkey to date.
Ryan Kent’s style of play
Kent’s relentless focus on venturing forward with pace and trickery would fit Farke’s side down to a tee, Leeds routinely blitzing opponents with their gung-ho approach when on song.
Gnonto’s effectiveness has taken a back-seat this season, however ,when it comes to helping his teammates score goals for fun, only helping himself to one goal and one assist from 18 appearances.
Kent has also been going through a difficult spell in his career in terms of goal output – the 27-year-old only managing one goal and two assists from 15 appearances for Fenerbahce this campaign – but the attacker would be a different beast altogether in the Championship if Farke puts an arm around the misfiring winger on his arrival to West Yorkshire and believes in him.
At the peak of his powers playing in Scotland, the slick £33k-per-week forward – as per Capology – was a creative machine who had a killer knack of finding the back of the net also – assisting ten goals in his final full season at Ibrox, amassing 33 goals scored and 56 assists during a long-standing affinity with Rangers which was then severed.
His time with Rangers even saw talkSPORT pundit and ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara claim that Kent should be playing in the Premier League instead of the Scottish Premiership, labelling the dynamic attacker as a “top player”.
With Gnonto – who only boasts 17 goals and 15 assists in his senior career to date during his time at Elland Road and for FC Zurich – snapping up a far more experienced and proven asset like Kent could well see Farke secure an upgrade on the young Italian.
Leeds could well be the destination that re-energises the ex-Liverpool man’s stuttering career this January, bolstering the squad with another impactful presence who would go toe-to-toe with Dan James on his arrival and enable Gnonto’s exit to be simply shrugged off and forgotten about.
