Leeds United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win against League Two side Harrogate Town at Elland Road.
Largie Ramazani’s header in the second half, assisted by a fine cross from Manor Solomon, secured victory for the home team and secured their place in the next round.
Their next FA Cup game isn’t until February, meaning the Whites can turn their full attention back to Priority and ensure that they do not miss out on automatic promotion places.
The West Yorkshire side are currently one point ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley in second and third place in the Championship, meaning they don’t have much room to move at the top of the table.
Daniel FarkeThe team will play Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich and Burnley – all top-half sides – in the coming three-game week and will need to be on their toes to maintain their place in the top two.
The January transfer window also gives Leeds the chance to strengthen their squad to give them a boost ahead of the upcoming fixtures, with the club reportedly eyeing the Championship star this week.
Leeds United are eyeing a Championship full-back
According to LeedsUnitedNewsversatile Plymouth Argyle full-back Bali Mumba has emerged as a target for the Championship leaders this month.
The report claims the Whites have sent scouts to watch the former England youth international in action in the second division this season, while they also watched him in their 1-0 win over Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Mumba won nine of his 14 duels and he didn’t dribble through once to help his side keep a clean sheet against the Premier League side, suggesting that the Leeds scout may have been impressed by what they saw.
The outlet adds that Leeds are now considering a bid to sign the 23-year-old star to bolster Farke’s options at full-back ahead of the second half of the season.
Mumba is also a player that the German head coach already knows well from their time together at Norwich City. Farke, who once described him as “extraordinary”signed the defender from Sunderland in the summer of 2020.
The English dynamo continued on play nine times in the Canarian first team and made his debut in the Premier League in the 2021/22 season. under the current manager of Leeds.
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Ironically, Farke could sign Mumba this month to come in as an upgrade for the other full-back he signed for Leeds after working with him at Carrow Road – Sam Byram.
Performances of Sam Byram for Leeds
The veteran defender returned to Elland Road in the summer of 2023 for a second spell in West Yorkshire and a second stay with the manager, who signed him for the Canaries from West Ham ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.
His versatility has been particularly useful to White over the last 18 months, because of his ability to play comfortable at right-back, centre-back and left-back, allowing him to fill holes across the back line when needed.
31 year old played 33 times in the championship during the regular season last season and contributed with two goals and one assist, while mostly playing on the left side of defense.
Byram followed it up 11 starts at 21 performance in the second tier this season, which shows that he was still an important member of the team.
|
24/25 championship |
Sam Byram |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
21 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Key passes per match |
0.3 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
1.7 |
|
Duel success rate |
57% |
As you can see in the table above, the former Norwich man offered no creativity from full-back and was far from outstanding defensively, with less than two tackles and interceptions combined per game.
By securing a deal to bring Mumba to Elland Road from Plymouth this month, Farke could improve Byram from a defensive and attacking perspective.
Why Leeds should sign Bali Mumba
Firstly, the 23-year-old wizard is eight years younger than Byram and that means Leeds could sign him as a long-term investment as well as a short-term squad upgrade.
Farke, as he did during his time at Norwich, could develop Mumba and help him reach his potential over the coming years to turn him into a valuable asset, while the current
His performances in the Championship this season for Plymouth already suggest he could come as a major upgrade on Byram from a defensive perspective, as shown in the table below.
|
Championship 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
21 |
25 |
|
Turnovers + interceptions per game |
1.7 |
3.0 |
|
Cleanings per match |
1.0 |
1.8 |
|
Duels won per match |
2.8 |
5.0 |
|
Key passes per match |
0.3 |
0.6 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
The former Sunderland and Norwich star could offer more defensive protection, while – like Byram – he could play at left-back or right-back to cover both flanks, winning tackles and duels and making clearances and interceptions.
Mumba also has the potential to offer more in the upper half of the pitch as part of a dominant squad, which he was unable to show in a struggling Plymouth side, and the current Leeds man did not – as mentioned above – offer much respect in that regard.
In the 2022/23 season. in League 1 that won the title, the flying defender scored six goals and seven assists in his 37th start for the Pilgrims, showing he can be an attack-minded full-back who bursts forward and delivers in the final third.
So Farke could make a major upgrade on Byram by signing Mumba and helping him rediscover his attacking flair while retaining the defensive qualities that have caught the eye in his performances for Plymouth this season.
Connected
It is now up to the club to act on their interest in the Championship star and agree a deal to bring him to Elland Road before next month’s deadline.
