Leeds United manager Daniel Farke admitted yesterday that his plans to sign a left-back haven’t changed or become clearer with Sam Byram and Junior Firpo injured, and he is already aiming to bring one in anyway.
A visit to the Stadium of Light tonight will see Daniel Farke aim for another win to keep pace with the record-breaking top two, knowing that doing so heading into January will be a huge achievement on the way to pushing for automatic promotion.
He has been dealt a blow in defence, with Sam Byram confirmed as out for three weeks due to a hamstring strain, joining Junior Firpo on the absentee list:
Farke confirms left-back January plans
Off the back of sharing that Byram is out until the new year, it was natural that Farke would field questions in his pre-match press conference about signing a left-back in the new year, to which he responded (via the YEP):
“I wouldn’t label it just because they are out right now with injuries. I had it in my mind anyway because we know also about the injury CV of Junior Firpo, who has been more then unlucky during his time here, although he is such a fantastic player if he is fit and available.
“We know what Sam Byram had to deal with throughout his career and I had this in my head anyway. I wouldn’t say that because they’re both right now in the middle of December injured it is more urgent, because I hope also that Junior will be able to return in the upcoming days also back into training.
“He won’t be available for this week but then hopefully at some point even around Christmas he will be back available, and also with Sam I expect him then to be at least back available at least for the first game in the league again in January.
“So not just because of these injuries but because of their history in terms of injuries I think we have to keep it a bit in our head, yes.”
Leeds to utilise loan market again
Tottenham loanee Djed Spence is likely to make his full debut tonight at left-back, a player who exemplifies the benefits of looking to Premier League clubs for loan signings, given the quality he possesses that wouldn’t be available permanently, like Joe Rodon, given the cost of signing him.
The YEP’s Graham Smyth has now shared that the club will be looking to the same market next month, as he wrote:
“Leeds are expected to make use of the loan market when the window opens in January for any areas in need of strengthening and Farke has been insistent that there is no appetite to let key players depart, including those on the fringe of the first team.”
The January window is a terrible one to find great value permanent signings in, so loans should be the club’s first port of call.
If the right permanent deal somehow comes up and is doable for Leeds, then we shouldn’t be ignoring it, but loans are much more likely.
We simply cannot avoid bringing in a quality left-back in the new year, and it’s great to see that Farke thinks the same.
The market for left-backs in the Championship isn’t great going into January, but loanees from the Premier League could be really fruitful for us.
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