The January transfer window has just over a week left to run and Leeds United are yet to make a signing to bolster Daniel Farke's playing squad.
It has been a relatively quiet window for the Whites so far as they have allowed two first-team players to depart and sent Darko Gyabi on loan to Plymouth Argyle.
Djed Spence was sent back to parent club Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the month, five months earlier than expected, and Luke Ayling joined Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season in search of regular game time.
Leicester
1
27
65
Ipswich
2
27
58
Southampton
3
27
55
Leeds
4
27
51
Leeds are currently vying to land automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, as shown in the table above, and they could improve their chances of being successful by adding more quality to the group before the window slams shut.
Signing a proven Championship performer who has experience winning the division, for example, could give them a boost, which is why emerging links to Burnley's Manuel Benson should be exciting for supporters.
Leeds pushing to land Premier League forward
According to Belgian journalist Sasha Tavolieri, the Whites are 'pushing' to secure a deal to sign the Clarets forward before the end of the window.
The reporter claims that the club are keen on a swoop for the Premier League attacker and will move 'until the end' to bring him to Elland Road this month.
However, there is no mention of whether it would be a permanent transfer for the impressive winger or, instead, a loan with an option to buy in the summer.
Tavolieri adds that Leeds expect Wilfried Gnonto to join Premier League side West Ham United, as they view the move as 'likely', and have identified Benson as his replacement.
The Italy international wanted to move on from the club last summer and went as far as to hand in a transfer request in August 2023 after the Whites turned down four offers from Everton.
Leeds rejected up to £25m from the Toffees and the young forward eventually remained at Elland Road and was integrated back into the first-team squad.
Appearances
21
Starts
Seven
Goals
One
Assists
One
Big chances created
Zero
Key passes per game
0.3
It now remains to be seen how much they value the 20-year-old ace at this month and how much West Ham are willing to pay for his services.
If Leeds do cash in on Gnonto and replace him with Benson, Farke could land a dream partner for Crysencio Summerville on the opposite flank to the Dutch whiz.
Opposition defences could be terrified when they come up against the pair as they are both outstanding Championship operators who can cause constant problems in the final third.
Crysencio Summerville's Championship excellence
The 22-year-old sensation has been in terrific form since the club were relegated from the Premier League and has spearheaded their attack this season.
Summerville has showcased his quality in front of goal with 12 strikes in 24 Championship appearances. No other Leeds player has hit double figures for goals, with Dan James and Joel Piroe both in second place with nine.
In fact, the impressive forward currently ranks within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers within the division for non-penalty goals (0.52) per 90 this term, despite racking up 0.36 non-penalty Expected Goals per 90.
This shows that he has been one of the best goalscoring wingers in the league and has been efficient with his finishing, as the Leeds star has outperformed his npxG.
Summerville has also been a superb creator for his side with seven assists and 13 'big chances' created for his teammates – second only to Georginio Rutter's nine assists and 18 'big chances' created within the squad.
The sublime whiz ranks within the top 1% of his Championship positional peers for shot-creating actions (6.82) and the top 3% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.37) per 90 respectively.
These statistics show that he is a fantastic scorer and creator of goals from a left wing position, which is what Benson could be for Farke on the right flank.
Benson's Championship track record
The £25k-per-week wizard joined Burnley from Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2022 and enjoyed a terrific debut season in English football.
Vincent Kompany's side romped their way to promotion and won the Championship title in the process, with Benson playing a valuable role in that success.
The left-footed whiz, who was described as a "beautiful" player by journalist Josh Bunting, played in 33 of their 46 matches and caught the eye with his ability to score goals and create high-quality opportunities for his fellow forwards.
Chris Willock
1
Nathan Tella
2
James McAtee
3
Ilias Chair
4
Duncan Watmore
5
Benson racked up 11 goals in those 33 outings, despite only being a starter in 14 games, and ranked within the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals (0.66) per 90.
The Belgian talent, who was only provided with 0.24 npxG per 90, was one of the best attackers in the Championship when it came to scoring from open play at a consistent rate.
He was also an impressive creator for his teammates from the right flank. Benson ranked within the top 4% of his positional peers for both shot-creating actions (4.53) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.25) per 90 for Burnley.
These statistics show that the Clarets magician is a proven Championship performer who has the quality to be one of the best in the division when it comes to scoring goals from open play and creating quality opportunities for his fellow attackers on a regular basis.
Therefore, Farke could land a dream partner for Summerville as the wing duo could terrify opposition full-backs with their immense quality in the final third, which is why this could be a fantastic signing for the Whites if they are able to pull it off.
