The January transfer window officially opened for business last week and Leeds United You have the opportunity to take steps to enhance your promotion search process.
Daniel FarkThe side is currently higher championship The table is one point behind Sheffield United and Burnley, and the manager may want to delve deeper into the market to add more quality to his squad, to give them the best chance of reaching the Premier League.
The Whites are struggling to finish in the top two in order to gain direct promotion to the top flight, rather than having to play in the play-offs as they did last season.
Leeds may be looking to improve their side's defensive side in the January transfer window after they saw their side surrender a two-goal lead to draw with Hull on Saturday.
Farke's men were 3-1 up heading into the final ten minutes and Illan Meslier did not cover himself in glory for any of the three goals, especially with the second after seemingly keeping the ball in play after it was headed over the bar.
Reportedly, Leeds are now looking to strengthen their squad by adding another central defender to come in and compete with the likes of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon.
Leeds United are eyeing a deal for the Premier League defender
According to The SunLeeds United are one of the clubs seeking to sign Nottingham Forest centre-back Andrew Omobamidele in the January transfer window.
The report claims that Tricky Trees have made him available for a transfer and are looking to collect a £10m fee for the player who they paid £11m to sign from Norwich City in the summer of 2023, and the Whites are now in talks with getting the deal done.
Sheffield United, who recently lost centre-back Harry Souttar to a long-term injury, are also looking to sign the Irish international, meaning Leeds face strong competition from one of their promotion rivals to secure his signature. .
The Sun adds that Nottingham Forest would be open to a loan deal leading to a guaranteed permanent deal in the summer, although it is unclear whether they would only allow the guaranteed aspect of the move to be triggered upon promotion.
It reveals that Leeds view Omobamidele as a long-term investment they can make and that they want to bring in more competition for their current midfielders, as Rodon is currently the first and only natural centre-back option on the right side. Of pairing.
Farke had the strong, athletic, young, right-footed Norwich academy graduate in his defense when he won the Championship with the Canaries in the 2018/19 season, with Ben Godfrey lining up at the back for him that year.
Ben Godfrey formed under Daniel Farke
England international, who is he? Set to sign For Norwich's rivals Ipswich Town this month, featured in 31 out of 46 for the club Matches in the title-winning season in 2018/19.
He emerged as first choice on the right side of defense during that campaign, playing alongside captain Christoph Zimmermann, and keeping experienced options such as Grant Hanley and Tim Klose out of the starting line-up.
Godfrey suited the way Farke saw the game because he was progressive in his use of the ball. The defender is ranked within highest 13% of positional peers in the division for progressive carries (1.17) per 90, and top 21% for progressive passes (3.35) per 90.
This shows that he was comfortable getting the ball out from the back to set up attacks for the team, whether through passes to break lines or carrying the ball to get the team up the field.
|
Championship 18/19 |
Ben Godfrey |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
31 |
|
Objectives |
4 |
|
Passing accuracy |
90% |
|
Ground fencing success rate |
63% |
|
Approvals |
109 |
As you can see in the table above, the Norwich star was reliable with the ball at his feet and was dominant in physical contests with opposition strikers on the ground.
Godfrey, who was once described as “Rolls Royce” By Ben Winst Podcast He then played a season in the Premier League with the Canaries, but was unable to help them avoid relegation.
Following that relegation, Everton swooped in to sign him from Norwich on a contract basis The reported fee is £30 millionWhich shows that FARC helped turn it into an incredibly valuable asset.
Why could Andrew Omobamidele be FARC's next Ben Godfrey?
Interestingly, Omobamidele was already on track to become the German coach's next version of Godfrey before he was sacked in 2021.
FARC was dismissed By sporting director Stuart Webber in November 2021, just months after the Irish defender was given a first-team debut at the end of the previous season.
Omobamidele, whose previous coach was Kenny Molloy He described it as a “Rolls Royce.”appeared in Last nine matches In the 2020/21 season, after injuries to Zimmermann and Ben Gibson forced the manager's hand, he helped secure the league title for the Yellows.
|
Championship 20/21 |
Andrew Omobamidele |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
9 |
|
Passing accuracy |
89% |
|
– Tackles + interceptions per match |
1.9 |
|
Ground fencing success rate |
75% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
71% |
|
The elusive past |
0x |
As you can see in the table above, his performance in a pressurized environment, while fighting for the title, at the age of 18 was incredibly impressive, dominating opposition strikers in the air and on the deck.
Omobamidele then Played five times In the Premier League the following season, four of those matches came before Farke was sacked in November, with replacement Dean Smith opting for more experience.
The Irish international has found it difficult to get access to football in recent years, with Only 11 league matches Forest have since moved from Norwich in 2023, but he could start his career by returning to the manager who placed his faith in him at such a young age.
Farke has not had the opportunity to see Omobamidele develop in the way he was able to with Godfrey, and he can look to help him fulfill his potential at Elland Road, and turn him into a player worth £30m – or above. – Assets in the future.
