Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be content with his side’s start to the season as they sit third in the table after 15 Championship matches.
The Whites have not been faultless, by any means, but they have only lost two of their league matches and are two points behind first-placed Sunderland and Sheffield United in second.
Farke’s men have also only conceded nine goals, the third-best defence in the division, and this has given them a solid platform to build from in matches.
Of course, they are still outside of the automatic promotion places and they will need to pick up more points than the Black Cats and the Blades over the coming months to ensure that they go straight up to the Premier League, rather than competing in the play-offs again.
The German boss may look to the January transfer window to bolster his side but the winter market is also an opportunity for the club to cash in on players, and there are at least three members of the squad who should be moved on, as it stands.
1 Patrick Bamford
The first player who should be ruthlessly binned from Elland Road is centre-forward Patrick Bamford, who has not done enough to warrant his reported wage of £70k-per-week.
He is reportedly the highest earner at the club and that has not been reflected in his performances on the pitch at Championship level since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
The former Middlesbrough and Chelsea man has only made six appearances in the second tier so far this season, all as a substitute, and has failed to provide a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created for his team.
Mateo Joseph and Joel Piroe have both been preferred ahead of the former England international as a starter in the number nine role at different points this season.
The Leeds duo have combined for eight goals and five assists in the Championship for the Whites, which suggests that they are taking their opportunities to play ahead of Bamford.
Appearances
33
xG
9.52
Goals
8
Big chances missed
9
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old dud had plenty of chances to impress in the second tier during the 2023/24 campaign, with mixed success.
Bamford did score eight goals and provided one assist but also underperformed against his xG and missed nine ‘big chances’, which suggests that the Englishman was not a reliable goalscorer for Farke, hence why Joseph and Piroe have been preferred ahead of him.
Football Insider recently reported that the striker is planning to move on from Elland Road at the end of the season, due to a lack of game time this term, but the Whites should look to accelerate his departure and save his £70k-per-week wages by selling him in January.
2 Joe Gelhardt
The second player who should be sold by the club in the upcoming January transfer window is the rarely-seen centre-forward Joe Gelhardt.
18-year-old academy graduate Charlie Crew is the only player to have played fewer minutes (four) than the English attacker (nine) in the Championship for Leeds so far this season.
Gelhardt has been an unused substitute on seven occasions and failed to make the matchday squad six times, with his nine minutes coming in two outings off the bench.
This shows that Farke does not believe that the left-footed lightweight is ready to play regular football for the Whites at Championship level, which is concerning given that this is his second season under the German boss.
Gelhardt remained at Elland Road, instead of going out on loan, for the 2023/24 campaign, and only made ten appearances in the second tier, starting two of those games.
Appearances
10
Goals
0
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.2
Duel success rate
35%
As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old dud did not do enough with his opportunities on the pitch to show the manager that he deserved more minutes.
Therefore, it is now time for Leeds and Farke to finally cash in on the £15k-per-week forward, who has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he is developing and likely to play an important role for the team moving forward.
3 Junior Firpo
Finally, and potentially most controversially, Junior Firpo should be moved on in the January transfer window if an agreement cannot be reached on a new contract.
The 28-year-old star’s deal is due to expire at the end of the season and the Whites will risk losing him for nothing if they have not resolved the situation by February.
He is the second highest earner in the squad, behind Bamford, on £60k-per-week and Leeds may not want to keep him on that level of wage on a longer-term deal, in case they fail to reach the Premier League.
If that is the case, all parties are in an awkward position, and cashing in on him, despite his quality, could be the best option for Leeds in January, to avoid losing a key player on a free transfer.
The West Yorkshire outfit were recently linked with an interest in Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin, and signing a player of his ability could make the decision to sell Firpo far easier.
Appearances
15
13
Goals + assists
3
4
Duels won per game
7.6
6.7
Tackles made per game
3.4
2.6
Interceptions per game
1.8
1.2
Duel success rate
56%
55%
As you can see in the table above, the Black Cats star has outperformed the Leeds man in pretty much every defensive statistic in the Championship this season, whilst offering a similar threat in attack.
Therefore, selling Firpo and swooping to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster could, potentially, improve Farke’s team, which is another reason why they should cash in on the 28-year-old.
Successfully and ruthlessly selling Bamford, Gelhardt, and Firpo would shift £135k-per-week in wages and that is money that could be used to bolster the team, possibly with the addition of Cirkin.
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