Leeds United must act quickly if they are to bolster suitably before deadline day comes to a close, with a number of top options that remain up for grabs…
Who will Leeds United sign?
With a fine summer of spending already under Daniel Farke’s belt, admittedly most of those acquisitions have come to offset the mass exodus suffered at Elland Road.
The German has overseen numerous first-team exits, with many of the stars who hid during their relegation quick to jump ship after dropping into the Championship.
Now, the calibre of transfer targets has shifted dramatically from who they could have been aiming for had they stayed up, with proven talent at their new level at the forefront of their shortlist.
It therefore makes sense that Football Insider notes their interest in Newcastle United midfield Jeff Hendrick, suggesting that they are in a race to snag him ahead of various other clubs at their level.
The Republic of Ireland international is wildly out of favour at St James’ Park following their speedy evolution, and his exit could come at an ample time given he has just one year left on his £35k-per-week deal.
How good is Glen Kamara?
Such an acquisition could coincide perfectly with their reported interest in another midfield general, Glen Kamara.
The Finland international has enjoyed a fine four-year spell at Rangers but is seemingly seeking a new challenge as he closes in on completing his move to Elland Road.
Farke is clearly seeking to add a wealth of experience to his engine room, and should he secure both of these stars, he would have the pleasure of fielding a midfield full of senior internationals ready to tackle this division.
Whilst Hendrick has seen his play time limited on Tyneside, his two recent loan spells with QPR and Reading have allowed him to recapture his form of old within the Championship, as the 31-year-old winds down on an impressive career.
In fact, the manager of the latter club Paul Ince was full of praise for the ageing stalwart, highlighting his elite mentality and consistency:
“He gives you six, seven or eight out of ten. He is not a glamorous player by any means but you get what it says on the tin and if you add goals to his game then you’ve got a very good player. I was pleased for him. He’ll be disappointed because scoring twice should be enough to win at home.
“But he is a great lad and the others love him. He trains like a demon every day. He is very professional and I like professional players and he is one you can trust.”
He does not star in one particular field, but placing him beside Kamara could offer him the freedom to add to his five goal contributions from last term for a side that fell to the drop.
After all, the 27-year-old Gers star has been a calming presence throughout his time at Ibrox, arguably reaching his peak during the 2021/22 season.
Maintaining a 7.01 average rating in the Scottish Premiership that year, such a figure was buoyed by his 91% pass accuracy and six goal contributions alongside one tackle per game, via Sofascore – economical yet unafraid to push forward, he could learn so much from the man they could bring in beside him.
His quality would be unparalleled for this level, and alongside the experience Hendrick offers, they would strike up a fine partnership.
After all, you cannot get by with 251 Championship appearances and a further 147 Premier League showings, without boasting some quality, which Kamara would surely help flourish in the Elland Road engine room.
