Leeds United’s hunt for the automatic promotion places is gathering pace.
The Whites have established themselves inside the Championship’s top six this season but their next challenge is to dislodge one of Leicester City or Ipswich Town from their perch at the top of the table.
Daniel Farke’s side are entering a crucial point in their season and are batting first on Friday night when they travel to Rotherham in a Yorkshire derby clash.
A victory for the visitors in that fixture will close the gap to five points, applying pressure onto the league’s early pacesetters while extending their impressive run to seven wins in eight matches.
Nonetheless, it is imperative that Leeds do everything in their power to close the gap, including in the transfer window, as they aim to bolster their rearguard with the capture of Hammarby centre-back Nathaniel Adjei.
Leeds United transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei
At the start of November, Fotboll Direkt reported that Leeds were considering a move for Adjei and were one of several clubs interested, including fellow promotion chasers, Sunderland.
It is claimed that Hammarby are looking to receive approximately £3.5m in order to sanction the sale of their prized asset.
If the Whites were to make a move for the “physical monster” in January – as lauded by Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson – it would see them capture someone who boasts an exceptional physical presence, akin to their iconic defender, Pontus Jansson.
Much like Adjei has done, the towering centre-back began plying his trade in Sweden before Leeds captured the defensive titan from Torino in 2017.
Pontus Jansson’s Leeds career in numbers
During his three-year stint at Leeds, Jansson became a warrior at the heart of their defence, throwing himself into full-blooded tackles, dominating his opponents in the air and even popping up with crucial goals.
The 6 foot 5 colossus was highly sought after by the enigmatic Marcelo Bielsa, with the Argentine naming him as the club’s best player in the 2018/19 season as the Whites narrowly missed out on promotion, losing to Derby in the play-off semi-finals.
Jansson was essentially a striker’s worst nightmare to come up against, although he wasn’t the quickest off the mark, he was near impossible to beat in the physical battle and would clear everything in his way, including his own teammates, if he had to.
Despite being adored as a fan favourite due to his ferocious defensive displays, he went down in supporters estimations when he sealed a £5.5m move to Championship rivals Brentford in 2019.
Yet, after making 120 appearances and scoring an impressive nine goals, he is still one of the greatest central defenders to grace the Elland Road turf in recent years.
If Leeds do capture Adjei, the early signs suggest he boasts the potential to eclipse the legacy that Jansson crafted in West Yorkshire, especially if he helps them win promotion.
Nathaniel Adjei’s style of play
According to Hammarby’s former coach, Marti Cifuentes, the Ghanian destroyer possesses all of the ingredients to become a “top-notch” centre-back and given the bags of potential he’s got, it’s no surprise to see a plethora of clubs queuing up for his signature in January.
Standing at 6 foot 1 and possessing a stocky build, Adjei can provide a similar physical presence akin to Jansson having won an impressive 61% of his total duels, 62% of his aerial duels, averaged 2.7 clearances and recovered 4.3 balls per game in the Allsvenskan in 2023, as per Sofascore.
Nathaniel Adjei’s Allsvenskan 2023 statistics | |
|---|---|
Statistic | Figure |
Clean sheets | 5 |
Balls recovered | 4.3 |
Successful dribbles | 0.4 (82%) |
Aerial duels won | 1.9 (62%) |
Accurate passes per game | 40.8 (88%) |
All stats via Sofascore | |
Unlike the domineering Swede, however, the 21-year-old is excellent with the ball at his feet and has the ability to split the lines with his passing range, short or long.
In the Hammarby squad, he averaged the third-highest pass completion (88%) and averaged the third most accurate long balls per game (3.5).
With Leeds looking to build from the back under Farke, the calmness Adjei provides in possession would fit into the heart of their back like a glove.
Also, given how difficult a proposition it looks for Leeds to land Joe Rodon on a permanent deal from Tottenham Hotspur – with a staggering £20m asking price having been mooted – the Ghanaian could offer a long-term solution to that problem.
