An update has emerged on Leeds United and their plans to bolster their midfield options before the end of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest Leeds United transfer news?
According to TEAMtalk, Whites boss Daniel Farke is keen on a deal to sign central midfielder Kenny McLean from Norwich City.
The report claims that the Scotland international has been identified by Leeds as a possible replacement for United States international Tyler Adams.
It states that the Yorkshire-based outfit are interested in adding to their current group of players in that area of the pitch and plotting a swoop for the ex-Aberdeen ace.
However, TEAMtalk does add that it could be a difficult deal for Leeds to complete as the player still has two years left on his contract and the Canaries may be reluctant to part ways with him.
How good is Kenny McLean?
The £25k-per-week technician could come in as the eventual replacement for Marc Roca, who joined Real Betis on loan earlier this summer, rather than Adams.
McLean, like the former Bayern Munich man, is a left-footed all-rounder who can make an impact at both ends of the pitch, rather than being outstanding defensively or offensively.
Last season, the Norwich ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.91 across 35 Championship appearances and created five ‘big chances’ for his teammates.
Roca, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.81 over 32 Premier League outings and produced four ‘big chances’, which suggests that they both offer a similar level of creative threat from a central midfield position.
McLean could also be an upgrade on the Spaniard from a defensive perspective. He won five duels per clash at a success rate of 56% and was only dribbled past 0.7 times per game last term, as per Sofascore.
Roca, on the other hand, came out on top in 49% of his battles and won 4.1 per game and was dribbled past 1.4 times per match, as per Sofascore.
These statistics suggest that the Canaries battler is capable of being more efficient and effective in his defensive work to win possession back for his side, whilst he also does not allow opposition players to bypass him as easily in midfield which could help with defending in transition.
McLean would come in with a proven track record of winning promotion as he won two Championship titles under the current Leeds boss during their time together at Carrow Road in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 seasons.
This could make him an important figure within the dressing room as he could help the younger players, like Crysencio Summerville and Archie Gray, to deal with the demands of winning week-in-week-out with huge stakes on the line in the battle to finish in the top two.
The Scottish dynamo, who was once described as “irreplaceable” by Farke, also has Premier League experience under his belt with 68 top-flight appearances, which could be useful if they are able to return to the big time.
Therefore, McLean could be a shrewd addition to the squad if they are able to bring him in and a superb replacement for Roca on the left side of the midfield.
