This week, Djed Spence left Leeds United to return to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of his loan spell. Spence missed much of his brief stint at Elland Road after suffering an injury in training, but he did feature in six consecutive games just before the New Year (BBC Sport).
He was an unused substitute in the 3-0 victory over Birmingham City last time out, and has now headed back to north London following the culmination of the loan agreement. With 20 Championship games still to go, though, Daniel Farke may want to plug the gap left by the Englishman’s departure, and it seems those efforts are already underway as Leeds target Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Osayi-Samuel, who will represent Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations this month, broke through at Blackpool and then joined QPR in 2017. After three-and-a-half years at Loftus Road, he then joined Fenerbahce in a deal worth around £430k. He’s gone to play 124 games for the Super Lig club, including 24 this season (Transfermarkt).
Osayi-Samuel keen on Leeds move
Based on a report from Turkish outlet Star, Osayi-Samuel could make a return to the English Football League. Leeds have “entered the transfer race”, and the player himself is “positive” about the prospect of making the move to Yorkshire.
However, to sign him, Leeds will not only have to make an acceptable offer – Fenerbahce don’t want to lose him midway through the season and have set his asking price at £8.6m – but also see off competition from two Premier League sides in Crystal Palace and Wolves.
Farke faces Gray balancing act
Given that Farke has steered his side to fourth place in the table, perhaps he can convince Osayi-Samuel to join on the basis that Leeds could make a swift return to the top-flight anyway.
During his time at QPR, his manager Mark Warburton described him as a “dangerous” player (West London Sport), and while his game has changed slightly then, that assessment still rings true. As noted by The Athletic’s Nick Miller, the 26-year-old is no longer a “flying winger” but has instead become “one of the best right-backs in Turkey”, as his haul of two goals and four assists in all competitions this season demonstrates. Indeed, he’s set-up more goals than any of his positional peers at Super Lig clubs in 2023/24 (Transfermarkt).
For reference, Farke and Leeds have received limited offensive production from their full-backs this season. Between them, Archie Gray, Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Luke Ayling have mustered just two goals and five assists, barely beating Osayi-Samuel’s individual haul.
Player | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
Archie Gray | 0 | 1 |
Junior Firpo | 0 | 2 |
Sam Byram | 1 | 1 |
Luke Ayling | 1 | 1 |
Bright Osayi-Samuel | 2 | 4 |
Still, the presence of Gray at Elland Road is a complicating factor. He’s demonstrated that he’s an outstanding talent, so much so that Champions League outfit Borussia Dortmund are reportedly looking at him (ESPN), and Leeds will be wary of blocking his path to valuable minutes by bringing in Osayi-Samuel.
By the same token, though, the Nigerian may be reluctant to make the move unless he receives assurances about game time. He looks like the ideal replacement for Spence, but Farke would face a difficult balancing act.
