Leeds admire “outstanding” favorite Farke who would be perfect for Struijk

Leeds United return to action in Priority this weekend as they prepare to host Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road in the Yorkshire derby on Sunday.

The Whites know that securing all three points will keep them at the top of the table as they go in search of automatic promotion back to the Premier League after their second bid.

Daniel FarkeThe side beat League Two side Harrogate 1-0 in the FA Cup third round, while their last league game ended in a 3-3 draw against Hull.

The West Yorkshire side have drawn their last two games in the division, against Hull and Blackburn, and will know they will need to get back to winning ways if they are to keep their place in the automatic promotion places.

The January transfer window has been open for more than two weeks and Leeds could look to enter the market to ensure they have the best possible chance of achieving their goal of promotion in the second half of the season.

In fact, the Whites are reportedly looking to increase the quality in the group and have now set their sights on the Premier League centre-back.

Leeds want a Premier League defender

According to The TelegraphLeeds are one of the teams interested in a possible deal to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Andrew Omobamidele this month.

The report claims that both the West Yorkshire outfit and Championship rivals Sheffield United are ‘admiring’ the Ireland international, although it remains to be seen whether or not they will formalize that interest with a genuine bid for his services.

Nottingham Forest are said to be open to moving for some of their players in the January transfer window and the Irish titan is one of the stalwarts who could be in the running, amid interest from home and abroad.

Tricky Trees have signed the defender from Norwich City in the summer of 2023 in a reported deal that could be worth up to £20 millionincluding extras, and it remains to be seen how much of that they would like to recoup in sales.

It was previously announced that from The Sunhowever, the Premier League side would be interested in completing a deal that would see the centre-back go on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent in the summer, which could work out for Leeds if the guarantee is conditional on achieving promotion.

Farke, of course, already has two of the best centre-backs in his Leeds squad this season, and one of them has been a standout star for the Whites.

How Leeds United’s defenders have performed this season

Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk were the first choice for the Whites in the center of defense, as they were in the first half of the 2023/24 season. before the Dutchman’s injury.

After returning from injury to return to regular action this season, the former Ajax player has enjoyed a superb season in the Championship on the left side of defence.

Struijk helped the team to keep 13 clean sheets in 24 appearances in the second division and has yet to make a single mistake that led to a shot, goal or penalty for the opponent.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Rodon in the right central defender role. He has already made two mistakes that led to shots or goals for the opposition team and awarded a penalty, which Josh Sargent lost against Norwich in a 1-1 draw at Carrow Road.

As you can see in the table above, Struijk has outperformed the Wales international as the outstanding defender, making fewer mistakes and more defensive interventions to prevent Illan Meslier from being handled in every game.

This suggests that if Leeds are to sign a player in that position, they should be looking for a centre-back who can play on the right and partner Struijk, which would make Omobamidele perfect for the Dutchman.

Why Leeds should sign Andrew Omobamidele

First, Farke already likes the Irish international. The German head coach made a bold decision to bring the 18-year-old into the starting line-up as Norwich closed out the 2020/21 Premier League title. eight of his nine occurrences.

He also gave his all to the teenage titan Premier League debut in the 2021/22 season, but he was sacked by the Canaries before he was given the chance to develop further, showing that the Leeds boss already knows and rates the centre-back highly.

This means that Omobamidele, who was hailed as “outstanding” former team-mate Grant Hanley, he could slot right in and hit the ground running, as he already has the manager’s trust and knows the style of play, as well as how to win a league title.

The 22-year-old colossus has only played 11 times in the Premier League since the start of last season and, given his lack of playing time, must return to regular football to recapture the form he showed at Norwich earlier in his career.

As you can see in the table above, Omobamidele was an incredibly dominant defender who didn’t allow attackers to beat him on the ground or in the air very often in Farke’s final Championship title-winning season.

These stats suggest there is potential for him to be an upgrade over Rodon, due to his higher tackle success rate on the ground and in the air, while also making more defensive tackles per game compared to the Welshman of this era, if he can return to those levels under the German boss.

As a right-footed player, Omobamidele would also fit in perfectly in that position on the right side of defense and offer balance alongside the left-footed Struijk, who would love to play alongside a dominant defender who makes no mistakes in the game. regularly.

It would be a gamble, given his lack of minutes of late, but it could pay off when you consider his relationship with Farke and his previous form under the head coach, as he could be the perfect partner for Struijk and great competition for Rodon in the second part of the season.