The January transfer window officially opened on Wednesday and Leeds United They now have the opportunity to enter the market to strengthen their squad ahead of the second half of the season.
Daniel FarkThe 's are currently one point clear at the top of the standings championship Sheffield United and Burnley lead by 52 points after 26 matches.
The Whites' goal will be automatic promotion this season after qualifying for the play-offs, then losing to Southampton at Wembley last season.
Farke hopes to avoid the draw for the qualifiers by finishing the season in first and second place, to advance directly to the English Premier League after 46 matches.
The German, who won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City, could look to use the January transfer window to give his side the best chance of achieving automatic promotion.
However, it already has a number of star players who regularly contribute to the team's success, which is why they are at the top of the league, and Pascal Struijk is one of them.
Pascal Struijk's performance this season
The left-footed central defender suffered a thigh injury in December 2023 and ended up missing the game Last 27 matches In all competitions of the 2023/24 season.
This meant that Struijk played no part in Leeds' relegation to the play-off places, rather than finishing in the top two, or in the 1-0 loss to Southampton in the final at Wembley.
The 25-year-old star returned from that injury in pre-season, and was immediately back in Farke's starting line-up, starting 24 out of 26 for the club League matches this season.
As you can see in the highlights above, Struijk He scored his third goal of the Championship season to put Leeds 1-0 ahead against Blackburn Rovers with a penalty in his last match.
The Dutch giant is ready to step up when the Whites need him most, as shown by his composure and performance in a pressured situation with two minutes left in the match with the score 0-0, but his teammates let him down after 90 seconds. When Danny Batth equalised.
Struijk has also excelled defensively all season so far and has outdone his centre-back partner Joe Rodon with his performances for the West Yorkshire side.
|
Championship 24/25 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
26 |
24 |
|
Interventions + interceptions |
1.4 |
2.9 |
|
Recovering the ball in every game |
4.0 |
4.2 |
|
Duel success rate |
56% |
60% |
|
The foul led to the shot/goal |
2 |
0 |
|
Penalties committed |
1 |
0 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman was more dominant in winning duels and making tackles for Leeds, while also not committing a single direct foul, compared to Rodon's three fouls – including conceding a penalty against Norwich.
Leeds could secure a dream signing of Struijk and promote the Wales international by swooping to sign one of their reported targets in the January transfer window.
Leeds United's interest in the French League defender
French outlet Top Mercato It was reported last month that Leeds had already made a bid to sign Abdulkader Khosanov from RC Lens for a fee of €20m (£16.6m).
However, the Ligue 1 side are said to be looking for a fee in the region of €30m (£25m) in order to part ways with the impressive 20-year-old, who has emerged as a key player this season.
The report added that English Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Newcastle United and Manchester City have also shown interest in the young star, along with French giant Paris Saint-Germain.
It is strange to see Leeds' name mentioned alongside these European giants, as well as Premier League side Leicester City, but they may feel they may be tempted by their ongoing quest to return to the top flight.
If the Whites make a bid for the right-footed defender, Leeds could go the route of an initial loan deal with the obligation to become permanent if they are promoted, which would provide a safety net for both parties if it comes to pass. It doesn't work.
However, Lens is demanding a huge sum of money for his services and may not want to send him out on loan with the possibility of not getting any money for him in the summer.
Why would Abdulkader Khosanov be a dream for Pascal Stroijk?
Leeds must push for a deal to be completed for the £25m star, whether it is this month or in the summer if they can secure promotion, as he could be a dream signing for Struijk at centre-back.
The 20-year-old giant has Started 11 times In the French League this season with Lens, he showed his quality on and off the field with the French team.
He is currently ranked highest 38% of the midfielders in the league for progressive passes per 90 (3.97), showing that the youngster could be a perfect fit in Farke's possession-based system and share the load with Stroijk when it comes to playing out from the back.
Khosanov, who has been described as “Legend of the Future” Uzbekistan football coach coached by talent scout Jacek Kulig has proven to be a dominant defensive force in the back four in Ligue 1 this season and could come as an upgrade for Rodon.
|
Season 24/25 |
Joe Rodon (championship) |
Abdelkader Khosanov (French League 1) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
13 |
|
Interventions + interceptions |
1.4 |
3.2 |
|
Number of permits per match |
4.0 |
4.3 |
|
Duel success rate |
56% |
61% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
54% |
70% |
|
The foul led to the shot/goal |
2 |
0 |
|
Penalties committed |
1 |
1 |
|
Statistics via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Lens star won a higher percentage of his duels and was more impressive in his aerial contests, which could see Farke improve from set-pieces – having conceded a goal against Blackburn.
Khosanov also averaged more than twice as many tackles and interceptions per game, showing that he is constantly looking to get in to win back possession for his team.
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Overall, Struijk could love playing alongside the 20-year-old as he is comfortable passing from the back and dominates the defence, which could make it easier for the Dutchman to play alongside him.