Leeds United continued their fantastic run of form in the Championship as they beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park on Saturday.
Goals from Dan James and Crysencio Summerville secured all three points for the Whites in Lancashire but it did nothing to close the gap on the top two.
Ipswich Town and Leicester continue to run away with the automatic promotion places as they sit on 48 and 49 points respectively, with a combined 31 wins from 40 matches.
Championship table (11/12/2023) | ||
|---|---|---|
Position | Team | Points |
First | Leicester | 49 |
Second | Ipswich | 48 |
Third | Leeds | 41 |
Fourth | Southampton | 38 |
Fifth | West Brom | 32 |
Sixth | Sunderland | 30 |
Daniel Farke’s side, meanwhile, have won six of their last seven league games and sit seven points behind the Tractor Boys with 41 points in third place.
The Whites must continue to bring in the results and hope that the current top two slip up at some point and provide them with a chance to move up into the promotion places.
Bolstering the playing squad in January could give Leeds a boost and help them push for an automatic spot in the second half of the season.
Leeds transfer news – Sam Curtis
One player who has been linked with a potential move to Elland Road at the start of next year is impressive teenage full-back Sam Curtis.
90min reported last month that the Whites are one of a number of clubs eyeing up the 18-year-old defender ahead of the January transfer window.
The outlet claimed that Premier League giants Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and Manchester City all want to sign him next month.
It added that Leeds, Middlesbrough, and Hull City are three Championship sides interested in Curtis, whilst reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic have also had an eye on the Irish prospect.
He currently plays for St Patrick’s Athletic in his home country and his club are said to expect him to move on before they return to league action in February.
This suggests that a January transfer is on the cards for the right-back and this means that Leeds will need to move swiftly if they want to beat off the competition for his signature.
However, the report does not reveal how much it would cost to secure a deal for his services and that could play a telling role if it is out of the club’s budget.
If they can afford him, though, Leeds could have an edge over the Premier League giants as they could offer the allure of regular first-team football, which the likes of City and Liverpool may not be able to offer with Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold standing in his way.
Farke could unearth his next version of Max Aarons, who he uncovered at Norwich City, by winning the race for Curtis’ signature ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
Max Aarons’ Championship form for Farke
The German tactician placed his full faith in the talented right-back during their time together at Carrow Road as he handed the academy prospect a full first-team league debut at the age of 18.
Farke chucked Aarons in at the deep end in an East Anglian derby against Ipswich at the start of the 2018/19 campaign and the full-back went on to play a crucial role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League.
The Canaries youngster went on to start 41 Championship matches in his first season at senior level and contributed with two goals and six assists.
He caught the eye with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a duel success rate of 58%, which shows that the impressive youngster made an impression at both ends of the pitch.
Norwich found themselves back in the Championship again for the 2020/21 campaign and Aarons, once again, produced fantastic performances.
The former England U21 international started 45 of their 46 league matches and made his presence felt with two goals and two assists from right-back. He also ranked within the top 4% of his positional peers at that level for progressive carries (3.27) per 90.
Aarons was rewarded for his stunning form with a place in the PFA Team of the Year for both the 2018/19 and the 2020/21 season respectively. He was also named the EFL Young Player of the Season at the end of his first campaign for Norwich.
These statistics and achievements show that Farke unearthed a gem in Norfolk and the German boss could do something similar with Curtis at Leeds.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Curtis
The talented prospect, who journalist Seán O’Connor dubbed a “rising star”, has already played a full season of senior football despite the fact his 18th birthday was earlier this month.
Teammate Tom Grivosti hailed the 18-year-old whiz as “unbelievable” and claimed that he is “mature” beyond his years, which is a ringing endorsement for such a young player.
Curtis assisted three goals in 18 Premier Division appearances during his first foray into senior football during the 2022 campaign for St. Patrick’s.
The Republic of Ireland U21 international followed that up with three goals and three assists in 34 outings in the Irish top-flight this year.
Alongside his attacking contributions, the teenage sensation caught the eye with his impressive defensive work. He made 3.4 tackles and interceptions and 5.2 ball recoveries across those 34 matches, to go along with a duel success rate of 63%.
For a point of reference, Archie Gray, who has been utilised out of position at right-back this season, has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions and won 54% of his battles across 19 Championship appearances.
The Thorp Arch youngster has, however, only contributed with one assist as he is yet to register the first senior goal of his promising career.
Gray has been a solid performer at right-back but the signing of Curtis would provide Farke with a natural player in that position and a potential upgrade given his defensive and offensive contributions in the Premier Division this year.
Leeds could, therefore, land the German his next version of Aarons as a fantastic 18-year-old right-back who could develop over time, whilst it would also allow Gray to play in his natural position in midfield.
