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Leeds United missed out on promotion to the Premier League in one of the worst ways possible last month as they were beaten in the play-off final at Wembley.

An entire season of effort culminated in a drab 1-0 defeat to Southampton, thanks to a first-half goal from Adam Armstrong, and the Whites must now prepare for a second year in the Championship.

Head coach Daniel Farke will look back on the 2023/24 campaign and identify ways to improve his side to ensure that they do not fall short for a second time.

Leeds' biggest xG underperformers

23/24 Championship

xG

Goals

xG differential

Georginio Rutter

16.05

7

-9.05

Patrick Bamford

11.11

8

-3.11

Joe Rodon

2.51

0

-2.51

Ethan Ampadu

2.31

0

-2.31

Mateo Joseph

2.43

1

-1.43

Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, three of his strikers underperformed against their xG and two of them, Patrick Bamford and Georginio Rutter, significantly underperformed – by a combined 12.16 xG.

Therefore, the German boss could dip into the market to bolster his attack during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business earlier this month.

Work on that front already appears to be underway as the West Yorkshire side have been linked with an interest in a forward from the Bundesliga.

Leeds United battling to sign £12m attacker

According to the printed edition of The Sunday Mirror (23/06/24), as relayed by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds are one of the sides battling to sign Bayer Leverkusen ace Adam Hlozek this summer.

The report claims that the Whites and Premier League outfit West Ham United are just two of the teams keeping tabs on his situation with the Bundesliga champions.

It states that the versatile forward is set to move on from Xabi Alonso's side before the 2024/25 campaign and Farke is seemingly looking to take advantage of that with a swoop for his services over the coming weeks.

The outlet reveals that Leverkusen are prepared to demand a fee within the region of £12m for the Czechia international, who is currently competing for his country at the 2024 European Championship.

It now remains to be seen, however, whether or not Leeds are willing to offer the £12m that is apparently required to secure his services before the end of the transfer window, or if the player is keen on dropping down from the first division in Germany to the second tier in England.

If they can secure a deal to sign him, though, then they could land an exciting partner for Rutter in the final third next season in the Championship.

Georginio Rutter's creative brilliance for Leeds

As illustrated in the xG table earlier, the French youngster endured an incredibly poor campaign in front of goal with his wasteful finishing for the Whites.

There is no hiding away from the fact that Rutter must improve his finishing quality next year as he spurned far too many high-quality opportunities for Farke's side.

However, the 22-year-old magician did do a lot of brilliant work in possession when it came to creating chances for other players to find the back of the net.

The former Hoffenheim starlet ended the season with a staggering 15 assists and 22 'big chances' created in 45 league appearances for Leeds, which shows that he consistently looked to set up his teammates.

That is backed up by fantastic underlying chance creation numbers as the right-footed wizard ranked highly amongst his positional peers in the division.

Georginio Rutter vs forwards

23/24 Championship (per 90)

Percentile rank

Assists (0.39)

Top 2%

xAG (0.29)

Top 2%

Progressive passes (4.46)

Top 3%

Shot-creating actions (4.41)

Top 2%

Successful take-ons (3.06)

Top 1%

Stats via FBRef

As you can see in the table above, he ranked among the best in his position at creating high-quality chances for his fellow attackers in the Championship.

These statistics show that the Leeds magician has the quality to constantly split open opposition defences with his creative and incisive passing from a number ten position.

This could make him an exciting partner for Hlozek at Elland Road as the young Czechia star has the potential to be a lethal finisher as well as an impressive creator in the Championship next season.

Why Leeds should sign Adam Hlozek

Firstly, he only turns 22 next month and this means that the club would be bringing in a talented young starlet with time to develop and improve throughout his time in Yorkshire.

Farke could work with the youngster, who was described as a "diamond" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, to help improve his performances on the pitch and, as a result, increase his value for the Whites to potentially make a profit on him further down the line.

Secondly, Hlozek has the finishing quality to be a reliable option for the German head coach in the final third, unlike Bamford, Joseph, and Rutter.

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In his two seasons in the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, the 6 foot 1 marksman, who was dubbed "towering" by Mango, scored seven goals from an xG of 5.72 – an overperformance of 1.28.

The talented dynamo, who scored three goals in four DFB Pokal outings, has shown that he can finish at an impressive rate in a major European league, which suggests that he could be a ruthless finisher who could thrive with Rutter's creativity at Leeds.

Adam Hlozek's last two seasons for Sparta Prague

Fortuna Liga

20/21

21/22

Total

Appearances

19

29

48

Goals

15

8

23

Assists

8

13

21

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, he arrived at Leverkusen off the back of two fantastic league seasons with Sparta Prague in his home country.

Hlozek racked up a staggering 44 direct goal contributions in 48 matches and Farke could look to unlock his creative quality, with 21 of those contributions being assists, to go along with his superb finishing.

He could, therefore, be an exciting partner for Rutter at the top end of the pitch for the Whites next term as his ability in front of goal could make up for the Frenchman's struggles in that department.

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It is now down to the club to win the battle for his signature and bring him to Elland Road to bolster Farke's attacking options for the 2024/25 campaign.

Nottingham Forest have a charge pending from the Premier League for breaching profit and sustainability rules, with journalist Dean Jones sharing the piece of business which could prove crucial in determining the success of their appeal.

Forest appeal charge to avoid points deduction nightmare

Nuno Espirito Santo's side face the possibility of being deducted points if their appeal comes to no fruition, in similar fashion to Everton, who had ten points struck off in the largest punishment in English top-flight history.

Related David Ornstein confirms buy option on Nottingham Forest loan deal

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Posts ByBen Goodwin

Forest's battle against the drop would therefore take an almighty hit if their case to the judicial panel, and subsequent independent commission hearing, fails to come through.

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol says Forest's appeal will be resolved in a fairly quick fashion following their confirmed charge midway through January, and specifically by April 12.

"These rules are designed to deal with these cases very, very quickly. They are fast-track, new, streamlined rules," said Solhekol to Sky last month.

"These accounts went in on December 31, two weeks later we're hearing Everton and Nottingham Forest are in breach of the rules. The clubs have two weeks to respond to these charges and pretty quickly two separate independent commissions are going to be set up. And within 12 weeks these independent commissions will have finished their hearings – which last between one and five days – and a week after that we will get the decision.

"By April 12 we will have the decision."

Nottingham Forest's best-performing players this season

Match Rating

Morgan Gibbs-White

6.90

Willy Boly

6.88

Murillo

6.82

Anthony Elanga

6.73

Chris Wood

6.66

(data via WhoScored, minimum 15 appearances)

Relegation as a result of any potential charge would be a disaster, but Forest apparently believe their January business has them well prepared for that worst-case scenario. That is according to Jones, who claimed to GiveMeSport that they have very limited potential to spend big in the summer following their off-field sanctions.

Brennan Johnson sale will prove crucial to FFP charge at Forest

The reporter also claims one crucial piece of business by Forest could prove to be decisive in their appeal against PSR charges.

Indeed, Jones claims Brennan Johnson and the timing of his Tottenham transfer will be a deciding factor in Forest's FFP battle.

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"We know exactly where Nottingham Forest are at; a current charge pending for a PSR breach that they informed the Premier League about, and they are now waiting for their case to be heard," wrote Jones.

"Much will centre on the timing of the Brennan Johnson sale within that verdict and any potential points deduction would put them firmly in the relegation battle. Any summer spending would then be dictated by league status but under a worst-case scenario of relegation, expect a fire sale of players to bring the wage bill down."

Johnson signed for Spurs last summer for around £45 million, and his status as a Forest academy player means his sale has gone down as pure profit.

Newcastle United have made a breakthrough in discussions with one of their players regarding a new contract according to a reliable journalist, but there are still clubs interested in signing him.

Who have Newcastle signed in 2023?

PIF and Eddie Howe recruited five fresh faces over the summer in the form of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento and Yankuba Minteh on a permanent basis, whilst Lewis Hall put pen to paper on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea, as per Transfermarkt.

The Magpies have also recently been boosted by the news that Callum Wilson has signed a one-year deal extension meaning that he will remain at the club until at least 2025, but he’s not the only star already in the building that is set to commit his future to the northeast side.

Back in May, 90min reported that Bruno Guimaraes had been in talks for months over a new contract, but having attracted interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid since, the two parties are yet to reach a full agreement.

The Brazil international has been a revelation during his 63 appearances since first joining from Lyon back in January 2022, and if the following update is to be believed, the defensive midfielder is one step closer to putting an even bigger smile on the faces of supporters.

Is Bruno signing a new contract at Newcastle?

Writing in his article for TEAMtalk, Graeme Bailey confirmed that Newcastle and Guimaraes have progressed in negotiations over his improved terms, with both sides hoping to finalise terms before Christmas in December. He said:

“Sources close to this deal had become frustrated that the contract was not signed before the end of last season. Now talks have accelerated again and the belief now is that the deal will be finalised sooner rather than later.

"Bruno’s people insist that his needs have never been overly demanding and Newcastle do want to recognise his importance to the club. It can’t be underestimated how happy they are with him and how important he is to them.”

What is Bruno's style of play?

First of all, Newcastle will admire the “leader” that Guimaraes is on the pitch, as described by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, but it’s his ability to make an equally positive impact at both ends of the pitch that make him such a well-rounded and in-demand player.

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The Bertolucci Sports client, who currently earns £120k-per-week, has made nine tackles so far this season which is the second-highest total throughout the squad behind Dan Burn, via FBRef, but he’s also posted 16 goal contributions (ten goals and six assists) since joining.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old has the ability to operate at centre-back and slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his usual role sitting in front of the backline which makes sense as to why he’s so strong all over the pitch, and it would be a massive coup if he was to sign on the dotted line for the Magpies.

Manchester United will be desperate to build on their solid debut campaign under Erik ten Hag and as Champions League football is set to grace the Old Trafford pitch once again following a hiatus last term, the Dutchman will be keen to strengthen.

Not only that, but he will also be looking at moving some of the deadwood out of United that has dragged them down, with Harry Maguire being a player who must be banished from the Red Devils.

Tottenham Hotspur were linked with a move for the player last month and despite claims that he wants to remain at the club and fight for his place, the Dutchman looks certain to improve his defensive options.

Maguire started just 16 games last season, with only half of those coming in the Premier League and his current earnings of £190k-per-week were not rewarded with regular game time – hence why he should be moved on.

United have shown interest in Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard according to Football Transfers and he could be the perfect replacement for the club's struggling skipper.

Could Benjamin Pavard sign for Manchester United?

The Bundesliga giants are reportedly allowing the Frenchman to leave should they receive offers of around €30m (£26m) this summer and Ten Hag could see this as a deal which represents excellent value.

The World Cup winner has tended to play more as a right-back during his career, but last season for Bayern, he featured heavily at centre-back and this adaptability could be a big plus in terms of Ten Hag launching a potential move.

Pavard could give United an unlikely goal threat, as he ranks in the top 1% across Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.18) and top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.58) however, it is his ability to bring the ball out of defence that could entice the United boss into signing him.

The 27-year-old ranks in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90 (7.59) and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90 (1.31) across the big five leagues in Europe among those in his position, suggesting that he’d be a perfect fit for Ten Hag’s tactical system which relies heavily on defenders playing out from the back.

In contrast, Maguire makes only 3.09 progressive passes per 90 and 0.95 progressive carries per 90 across Europe's big five leagues, and these are much lower totals than the Bayern star, thus rendering his role as obsolete should he arrive.

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The former Stuttgart defender was lauded as being a “real talent” by former Germany international Thomas Hitzlsperger and for a paltry £26m, Ten Hag might not make a better signing in terms of value for money all summer.

Leeds United find themselves once again entrenched in a desperate battle for survival, with Javi Gracia the new man at the helm expected to guide them to safety.

Jesse Marsch had managed it last season but was deemed too unreliable to repeat his feat, despite taking over from the revered Marcelo Bielsa who had also became untrusted.

The Whites clearly boast a hierarchy inundated with a lack of faith, and their overwhelming fear of the drop has manifested into panic purchases and backing the wrong managers.

However, what is particularly mind-boggling is their acceptance to go on without signing some valid competition for Junior Firpo at left-back, despite the fans and media almost pleading for it.

It was not even as if they were strapped for cash; the American shattered their transfer record on two separate occasions across his two windows in charge.

It was the undeniable priority and has instead left a liability as their sole option. If only they had some talent from the past to fill in, namely the great Ian Harte, who would displace the former Barcelona defender in an instant.

How good was Ian Harte?

One of the great offensive full-backs, arguably before it became commonplace, the now 45-year-old was a true journeyman, plying his trade all across the English football leagues as well as enjoying a stint in Spain too.

However, it was at Elland Road where he resided for most of his career, featuring 281 times. During that period, he would establish himself as a true creative threat, outlined in his 38 goals and 27 assists.

His stint in Yorkshire marked their high point since the turn of the century too, as he was part of David O'Leary's heroic squad that reached the Champions League semi-finals back in the early 2000s.

The resolute defender boasted a career that spanned decades, as even as recently as 2012 he was lauded by podcaster Nilesh Deshmukh for his "magic touch" over a set piece that he had not lost.

Meanwhile, although he has seen a slight upturn in form since Gracia's arrival, Firpo has struggled since his initial move under Bielsa, paling in comparison to the great Harte.

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His debut campaign saw him handed a 6.60 average rating, which is hardly much improved going into this season. Growing ever so slightly to a 6.65, Pascal Struijk has often deputised in his role due to his defensive deficiencies, despite being a natural centre-back.

Lacking positional awareness at the best of times, were he to offer some firepower up front he could at least be noted as a useful asset. But with just five goal contributions in 43 appearances, the 26-year-old cannot even manage that.

To compare him to Harte would be an insult, which is why this legendary figure would be so integral were he to return in his prime to today's team. It could arguably complete them, offering the perfect foundation upon which to build into a team without a continued fear of relegation.

West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool youngster Leighton Clarkson on loan this month and the midfielder could be a big upgrade on Jake Livermore in Carlos Corberan’s side.

According to Football Insider, a number of Championship sides including the Baggies, Reading and QPR are all keen on taking the 21-year-old on loan until the end of the season after his impressive displays north of the border with Aberdeen.

The Dons are keen on keeping the England U20 international at Pittodrie until the end of the season but Liverpool could potentially terminate his loan in Scotland before sending him to any of the interested Championship sides.

The Liverpool academy graduate has already made three appearances for the senior side and spent the second half of last season on loan with Blackburn Rovers but failed to make much impression.

However, his displays at Aberdeen so far this campaign have been very impressive, as he boasts four goals and one assist in 17 Scottish Premiership appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 6.84 average rating for his performances.

He is clearly highly thought of at Anfield too, with Jurgen Klopp singing his praises in 2021 after a friendly win over Osasuna.

He said: “Leighton is one of the biggest talents in our club, he’s been there for ages. He’s a midfielder, a number six type, can play eight as well.”

Should he arrive at the Hawthorns this month, it seems clear that he would be a significant upgrade on ageing captain Jake Livermore, who has struggled immensely on his appearances in the second tier so far this campaign.

The 33-year-old has lost his place under Corberan and it is no surprise that results have dramatically improved since, with it also noticeable that the Baggies shipped three goals against non-league Chesterfield when Livermore did return to the side last weekend.

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WhoScored have awarded him a woeful 6.33 rating for his performances in the Championship this season, while he has also averaged far fewer tackles (1.7 vs 0.8), key passes (1.1 vs 0.3) and shots per game (one vs 0.4) when compared to Clarkson, which suggests that the Liverpool man can be an upgrade from both a defensive and attacking perspective.

Although Corberan has preferred a midfield duo of Okay Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby for much of his time in charge, this has been perhaps due to a lack of other reliable options, and Clarkson could certainly give the Spanish manager even more to think about as he looks to continue the Baggies’ surge up the table.

Sunderland have a number of promising young players in Tony Mowbray’s squad who are pushing to become regulars in the side this season.

Daniel Neil has established himself as a starter, with 14 starts in the Championship, and the likes of Abdoullah Ba, Edouard Michut, and Amad Diallo should be hoping to follow in his footsteps.

The Black Cats have enjoyed success with young players over the years, whether that has been with signings or players from the academy, but they have also had their fair share of gaffes, in gems not fulfilling their potential or leaving too early.

One player the club had a nightmare with was young forward Sam Greenwood. The attacker left the club in the summer of 2018 and is now starting to make his breakthrough at first-team level.

He joined Arsenal as the Black Cats negotiated an upfront fee of £500k – with add-ons taking it over £1m – to sell him ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, with Stewart Donald unable to convince the gem to stay after 12 goal contributions in 15 games for the U18s.

Greenwood then moved to Leeds for a fee rising to £3m in the summer of 2020 and he was promoted to the first-team squad at Elland Road in January of this year.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan previously hailed the young forward’s set-piece quality and described his deadball ability as a “weapon”.

Jesse Marsch has also heaped praise on the gem in the past, saying: “First of all, he has a lot of flexibility to his game. He’s played six, eight, 10, he can play striker. In some ways, it’s not fair to him to try different positions, but he’s an intelligent player. He fits within what we’re trying to build within our team.

“He’s a hard worker, he’s an intelligent guy, he’s able and that’s the reason why we use him in a lot of positions because he’s very adaptable. He understands tactics and his role and he has big talent.”

Greenwood scored 21 goals and provided six assists in 40 U21 matches for Leeds and that was enough to convince the American head coach to promote him to the first team, where he has made 17 appearances to date – assisting two goals in the Premier League.

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The 20-year-old has played four matches in the English top-flight this season and is showing that he is a player with the potential to become a regular at that level in the future, as he is being trusted with minutes at such a young age.

Therefore, former Black Cats owner Donald had a howler by failing to convince Greenwood to stay as they missed out on having a terrific young talent in the Academy of Light and were compensated with just £500k – as the add-ons were not likely to have been met due to him moving on to Leeds.

Sunderland supporters will now have to watch the rest of his career unfold and, if he continues to be a success in the top flight, wonder what could have been…

It seems that Wolverhampton Wanderers are finally closing in on finding a striker solution… 

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian publication Gianluca DiMarzio, who claim that the agent of Roma striker Eldor Shomurudov is touting the forward’s service.

With Wolves desperate for someone to fill the absence of the injured Raul Jimenez, Scott Sellars will reportedly battle it out with Bologna for the Uzbekistan international.

He has struggled for starts under Jose Mourinho and could get his career back on track under Bruno Lage.

He can be a Jimenez repeat

Wolves will be hoping that Shomurudov can certainly fill the boots of their talismanic Mexican, due to his recent long-term injury which will see him miss the start of the Premier League season.

This could be another deal that could see the Midlands club bring in a relatively unproven striker and turn them into Premier League quality.

Having already done the same by signing Jimenez from Benfica after a successful loan spell, Lage will be hoping he can come up with his own version of this success story.

In 28 appearances last season, with the most in the league coming from the bench, the 56-cap forward managed seven goal contributions for Jose Mourinho’s side.

He would not only deputise for Jimenez but would definitely add a new dimension to Lage’s side. Shomurudov ranked in the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area, suggesting that he could be more of a poacher than someone who links play like they are used to.

This could benefit them greatly, as the service the likes of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence could provide for the close-range finisher often would not require neat link-up play from the striker to slip them through.

The creativity in midfield would likely see them through in creating the space for these tricky wingers to feed the forward.

Also, at 27 years old, the €37k-per-week (£31k) earner enters the prime of his career. He could start to hit his stride at the perfect moment for Wolves during their attacking crisis, and prove to be a smart signing who can challenge Jimenez upon his return to fitness.

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He has been cited as being in “great shape”, further outlining him as a viable target for Lage.

There is no reason why Shomurudov cannot come and light Molineux up just as Jimenez did before him, and it would mark a handing over of the torch from one striker to another if the Roma forward could perform in his absence.

AND, in other news: “He will..”: Romano drops big transfer claim that should have Wolves supporters gutted.

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has been reacting to Raphinha’s antics at the full-time whistle after the Whites secured their Premier League status.

The Lowdown: Survival

The Whites were involved in a dramatic final day at the bottom of the Premier League and secured a 2-1 win thanks to Jack Harrison’s effort in stoppage time. In the end, Jesse Marsch’s side were safe even with a point due to Burnley losing against Newcastle.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-44/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Raphinha opened the scoring after winning and converting a penalty in the second half, however, Leeds were in danger of throwing it away after an equaliser from the home side.

The Brazilian led the celebrations at the full-time whistle and jumped into the away end to celebrate with family, and Hay relayed what he did after emerging from the Whites faithful.

The Latest: Hay reacts

Taking to Twitter, Hay stated that the 25-year-old walked the whole length of the pitch on his knees, saying ‘I don’t know what it means’.

Beren Cross even shared footage of the antics, adding that Brentford fans ‘are hating it’.

The Verdict: Parting gift?

That could well be Raphinha’s last outing as a Whites player after heavy links with a move to Barcelona. If it is his last appearance, then it is brilliant final display.

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He was SofaScore’s man of the match with an 8.3/10 rating, with his 11 goals and three assists across the year vital in the club’s route to survival. Ensuring a third season of Premier League football also means that a relegation release clause won’t become active, meaning the club would bring in a big fee if he is to leave.

In other news: Orta now eyeing Leeds swoop for exciting winger

Leeds United captain Liam Cooper is expected to make a return to action in early March after a lengthy injury, according to fitness expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Cooper absent for months

The Whites have suffered numerous injury problems throughout the season, with key players missing large chunks of the campaign and the team duly struggling.

Cooper is one of those who has featured little as the weeks have passed, only managing 15 Premier League appearances and not playing since early December.

It now looks as though the Leeds captain is nearing a return, though, with a fresh update suggesting as much.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Return is close

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery confirmed that Cooper is on course to return early next month. The injury expert outlined:

“We know Bielsa is a stickler for making sure his players are on it. You will typically see players transition from working with the physios to the sports science department and then first-team training.

“We are expecting a return to play in early March. That gives us a fairly good indication of where those players are. So it could be that the player is with the first-team squad for a couple of weeks before they are thrown back into the first-team limelight.

“This is a big step forward. I would expect more big strides within the next seven to 10 days and coming into consideration for the development side.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-33/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Huge positive for Leeds

Cooper is such an influential figure at Elland Road, being hailed as ‘brilliant’ by Ally McCoist in the past and averaging a squad-high 3.6 successful aerial duels per game in the league this season.

His return will be a major boost for Marcelo Bielsa, not only because of the quality he brings but also because of his leadership skills, which he illustrates be routinely winning crucial headers at the back.

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The spine of Cooper, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford was integral to Leeds’ success last season, and eventually having all three back fit should help to steer them away from the threat of relegation.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for an exciting player. Read more here.