The January transfer window has been open for almost two weeks already and Leeds United they are yet to enter the market to strengthen their first team squad.
Daniel Farkeside is currently on top Priority by one point, ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley, and may feel they don’t need to make any major moves to improve the squad.
The Whites, however, are just one point ahead of the Clarets in third and that means their position in the automatic promotion places is far from secure.
Bringing in a player or two in the January transfer window could help the team before the second half of the 2024/25 season, help them progress and secure promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Leeds beat League Two side Harrogate Town 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday in the FA Cup and it was a game that summed up their need for a new attacking player, with Mateo Joseph struggling and got a rating of 5/10 for its performance.
The West Yorkshire side were without Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford, the latter of whom may not go forward due to interest in his services.
Why Leeds should sell Patrick Bamford
Journalist Alan Nixon recently reported that Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers are interested in signing the former England international from the club this month.
John Eustace is eyeing Leeds’ number nine to bolster his attacking options in the second half of the season, with the former Birmingham boss looking to add more experience to his squad, the journalist has revealed.
according to Football Insider in December that Bamford was more likely to leave in the summer and that his ‘big’ wages were a ‘problem’ for the Whites, making it difficult to facilitate a winter move.
But if Blackburn are willing to raise the wages needed to sign the Englishman, Leeds must cash in on him this month and bring in another striker to replace him.
Bamford is currently out with hamstring injury but he didn’t contribute much on the field before his absence, with zero goals and zero assists in ten championship appearances.
|
Championship 23/24 |
Patrick Bamford |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
33 |
|
xG |
9.52 |
|
Objectives |
8 |
|
Big chances were missed |
9 |
|
Assists |
1 |
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds centre-forward was wasted in the second division last season for Farke when he featured more regularly, underperforming his xG by nearly two goals.
Bamford is alleged the biggest earner in the team, with £80,000 a week, and his statistics from the 2023/24 season. and current tenure suggest that he doesn’t offer enough on the pitch to warrant it.
So Farke should allow the board to sell him to Blackburn, if the offer is right, and then push for Middlesbrough star Emmanuel Latte Latth to come in as his replacement.
Leeds United’s interest in Emmanuel Latte Lath
It was recently reported by LeedsUnitedNews that the Whites are interested in a potential deal to sign the Championship centre-forward to bolster the club’s attacking options.
It has been claimed that the West Yorkshire outfit are weighing up whether or not to submit a bid for the Ivorian marksman as they look to add a new number nine to the squad before the end of the January transfer window.
However, it added that Premier League sides West Ham United, Ipswich Town and Leicester City are also monitoring his situation,
According to journalist Luca Bendoni, MLS team Atlanta United submitted the application an offer of around £15m to secure a job for the Middlesbrough star, although it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to persuade them to sell.
This, however, shows the numbers Leeds may have to go to in order to seal a deal for the 26-year-old sensation ahead of the second half of the season.
But Latte Lath’s form for Middlesbrough in the Championship over the past 18 months suggests he may be worth throwing money at, as he could be the perfect replacement for Bamford this month.
Why Leeds should sign Emmanuel Latte Lath
While the England striker has struggled on the pitch for Leeds for most of Farke’s time at the club so far, the Boro striker has proven himself to be a lethal number nine in the second division.
Speaking to Football League World last summer, former England midfielder Carlton Palmer claimed Latte Lath “could score 20 to 25 goals a season”, and his stats over the past two seasons suggest the potential is certainly there to be just that.
The Middlesbrough star is closing in on the 20-goal mark in the 2023/24 Championship. He collected an impressive catch 16 goals in 23 startsof xG of only 11.62.
As you can see in the table above, Latte Lath significantly outclassed Bamford in front of goal with his impressive finishing ability, surpassing his xG by over four goals.
The Leeds target has continued to shine in the Championship this season and is currently making a comeback ten goals and two assists in 17 starts for Michael Carrick’s team.
This means that Dinamo Ivorian has scored 26 goals and registered three assists in 40 starts for Middlesbrough at league level since joining the Atalanta club in the summer of 2023.
He provided a consistent and clinical presence upfield for the Teesiders, while Bamford consistently underperformed in front of goal while earning £70k a week during that time.
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Therefore, Latte Lath, being an already proven Championship striker, could be the perfect replacement for Bamford in the January transfer window to provide Farke with the firepower needed for automatic promotion this year.
