Leeds United are on the verge of playing their first match in the Premier League for more than two years as they prepare to welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday night.
The Whites won the Championship title with a staggering haul of 100 points last season, and now have to show that they have what it takes to avoid an instant relegation back down to the second tier.
Daniel Farke watched on as the two teams that came up alongside Leeds put in contrasting performances on Saturday, with Burnley losing 3-0 to Tottenham and Sunderland smashing West Ham United 3-0.
The West Yorkshire outfit will be hoping for closer to Sunderland’s fortunes, as they look to kick off the new season with three points on the board in front of their home supporters.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin arrived on a free transfer on Friday, having left Everton, and it remains to be seen if he will make his debut in the match.
Leeds do, however, still need to sign an attacking midfielder before the end of the window to provide Calvert-Lewin, and others, with chances to find the back of the net.
Why Leeds need to sign an attacking midfielder
Whilst Farke has promised not to rigidly stick to his principles, following his struggles at Norwich, getting relegated from the Premier League in the past, the German boss will not abandon the way he wants his teams to play.
This means that the 4-2-3-1 formation, which was the go-to for Leeds in the Championship, may get plenty of use in the top-flight in the current campaign.
With this in mind, the Whites need to sign a new option for the number ten position because Brenden Aaronson may not have what it takes to make the step up, after scoring one goal in 36 games in the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign, per Sofascore.
Bristol City (A)
0
0
Burnley (H)
0
0
Sunderland (A)
0
0
Sheffield United (H)
0
0
Coventry (H)
0
0
Coventry (A)
0
0
Burnley (A)
0
0
Sunderland (H)
0
0
Sheffield United (A)
0
0
Bristol City (H)
0
0
As you can see in the table above, the USA international also failed to deliver a single goal or assist in his ten appearances against the other five teams in the top six in the Championship last season.
Aaronson has not shown enough in the final third to suggest that he has Premier League quality, which may be why the Whites have recently been linked with an interest in Leicester City star Bilal El Khannouss.
The Morocco international, who has delivered two assists in two Championship games this season, is not the only attacking midfielder on the club’s radar, though.
Leeds have interest in Dutch playmaker
According to EFL Analysis, Leeds United have an interest in £14m-rated Sheffield United attacking midfielder Gustavo Hamer, as they look to bolster their squad before the end of the window.
The report claims that the Championship champions are ‘huge admirers’ of the former Coventry City sensation, and that PSV have also been linked with the midfield star.
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Speaking to EFL Analysis, though, journalist Graeme Bailey said: “I don’t think that they ever wanted Gus Hamer to go, and as it’s looking now, there’s certainly a good chance that he stays.
“He’s the captain and I think, despite the scoreline against Bristol City, Ruben Selles actually got them playing some wonderful football and it looks as if that system will suit Hamer.”
These comments suggest that it will not be an easy deal for Leeds to do before the window slams shut, because the Blades are not actively looking to cash in on their captain.
Why Leeds should sign Gustavo Hamer
The Whites should be pushing to convince them to part ways with Hamer, though, because he would be an even better option than El Khannouss to play in the attacking midfield position for Farke.
Both attacking midfielders have played in the Premier League in teams that were relegated from the division at the first time of asking, but it was the Dutchman who showed more potential to deliver in a better team.
Appearances
36
32
xG
2.97
1.31
Goals
4
2
Big chances created
10
8
xA
4.55
3.11
Assists
6
3
As you can see in the table above, Hamer scored twice as many goals and registered twice as many assists in the top-flight in comparison to El Khannouss in his season in the division with Sheffield United in the 2023/24 campaign.
These statistics suggest that the Blades star, dubbed “outstanding” by Chris Wilder, would be more suited to hitting the ground running at Elland Road as a solid number ten option for Leeds, because he has shown that he can deliver goals and assists at a fairly impressive rate at that level.
Hamer, who scored a sensational goal from the halfway line against Birmingham City this month, also delivered ten goals and eight assists in all competitions for Sheffield United last season, per Sofascore, in their Championship campaign.
El Khannouss, meanwhile, has yet to score more than three goals in a single season in all competitions in his career, per Sofascore, which means that he has yet to prove himself as a consistent goal threat.
This suggests that signing Hamer would be less of a gamble for Leeds, because he has proven more in his career and delivered more impressive performances at Premier League level, and that is what the Whites need as they look to avoid relegation this season.
Therefore, the Sheffield United star would be a way better option than El Khannouss for Farke’s side this summer, because he appears to have a much greater chance of hitting the ground running and making an instant impact on the pitch in the top-flight as an attacking midfielder.
