Third in the Championship and ten points adrift of Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion spot, Leeds United are by no means a finished product in pursuit of an instant return to the Premier League. Daniel Farke has at least got the Yorkshire side in amongst the play-offs, creating a comfortable gap of eight points between the Whites and Hull City in seventh. As the January window approaches, however, the former Norwich City boss could look to make some vital changes to seal promotion.
Among those changes could be one that doesn’t cost a single transfer fee, with Leeds reportedly looking to welcome back a player who has struggled on loan elsewhere.
Leeds United transfer news
From Rodrigo to Tyler Adams, Leeds United weren’t lucky enough to keep hold of every star player following relegation from the Premier League, whether it be permanent deals away or loan moves. A number of those players have quickly discovered that the grass isn’t always greener though, and may even regret leaving Elland Road so soon after relegation. And that includes Brenden Aaronson, who left for Union Berlin on loan in the summer, only to struggle for minutes. At a crossroads, the American could now be offered a lifeline by Farke.
According to TeamTalk, Aaronson is set to hold discussions with Farke about a return to Leeds in January. The Elland Road boss is reportedly open to the midfielder’s return and thinks that he could be a huge boost for his squad ahead of their promotion push in the second half of the campaign.
Aaronson is reportedly considering his options and will leave on loan again if he decides against staying at Leeds. Still only 23-years-old and with Premier League experience under his belt, there’s little doubt that Aaronson could hand the Yorkshire side a major boost.
“impressive” Aaronson can be a game-changer for Leeds
Though Aaronson’s game-time at Union Berlin hasn’t been as he may have expected upon making the move, there’s no taking away the potential that the American still has. During his time in the Bundesliga, the Leeds loanee has played just under 500 minutes and made just 17 appearances in a Union Berlin side that have struggled compared to recent years. In the Premier League last season, however, his numbers were good enough to draw some interesting names on the FBRef Player Comparison Tool.
Similar players to Brenden Aaronson (based on FBRef statistics) |
Bobby Reid (Fulham) |
Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli) |
Mario Gotze (Frankfurt) |
Oliver Torres (Sevilla) |
Elba Rashani (Clermont Foot) |
When at his best, the midfielder has been at the centre of praise from the likes of Steve Nicol, who said on ESPN via Leeds Live: “I think the most impressive thing about Aaronson was that he was all over the park, and he was closing the ball, and he was winning it and he was giving it. We know that he can do all that stuff.
“I think the best part of his game was the way he delivered these passes and the decision-making, not just with the ball at his feet, but again, choosing when to go and close down, and choosing when to stay off. You’re talking about almost a complete performance, because obviously scoring would have been the cherry on the top.”
