Leeds United reached the fourth round of the FA Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over League Two side Harrogate Town at Elland Road on Saturday.
Raji Ramazani’s header in the second half, assisted by Manar Solomon’s excellent cross, sealed the home team’s victory and their place in the next round.
The next game in the FA Cup isn’t until February, which means Los Blancos have turned their attention fully back to the Championship and are looking to secure a place in the automatic promotion slots.
The West Yorkshire outfit currently sit one point ahead of Sheffield United and second and third-placed Burnley in the Championship, meaning they don’t have much room to move at the top of the table.
Daniel Farke’s side will face top-half teams Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich and Burnley as part of the upcoming three-legged weekend, but will need to secure a place in the top two if they are to defend their place. be.
The January transfer window is also a chance for Leeds to strengthen their squad for the upcoming fixtures, with the club reportedly targeting a Championship star this week.
Leeds United full-backs aiming to win the Championship
Plymouth Argyle’s versatile full-back Bali Mumba has emerged as a target for this month’s Championship leaders, according to Leeds United News.
Los Blancos have reportedly sent scouts to watch the former England youth international play in the second tier this season, including Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Brentford. But they said they sent scouts.
Mumba won nine of his 14 matches and, although he was never dribbled through, he helped keep a clean sheet against Premier League opponents. This suggests Leeds scouts may have been impressed by the game they saw.
The paper added that Leeds are currently considering signing the 23-year-old star to strengthen Farke’s full-back position for the second half of the season.
Mumba is also a player the German head coach is already familiar with from his time at Norwich City. Farke, who previously described him as “outstanding”, signed the defender from Sunderland in the summer of 2020.
The English dynamo has made nine first-team appearances for the Canaries and made his Premier League debut under current Leeds manager in 2021-22.
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Ironically, Farke could join Mumba this month as an upgrade to another full-back, Sam Byram, who signed for Leeds after working together at Carrow Road.
Sam Byram’s Leeds performance
The veteran defender will return to Elland Road in the summer of 2023, making his second stay in West Yorkshire and his second stint with the manager, who signed for the Canaries from West Ham ahead of the 2019/20 season.
His versatility has been particularly useful for Los Blancos over the past 18 months or so, with his ability to comfortably play at right-back, centre-back and left-back, allowing him to fill gaps between the backline when needed. I was able to do it. .
The 31-year-old played 33 games in the Championship during last season’s regular season, contributing two goals and one assist while primarily playing on the left side of defence.
Byram has also played 21 games and started 11 in the second division so far this season, showing he remains an important member of the team.
24/25 Championship
Sam Byram
Appearance
twenty one
assist
1
Key paths per game
0.3
Tackles + Interceptions per game
1.7
Duel success rate
57%
Statistics by Sofascore
As you can see from the table above, the former Norwich player hasn’t been very creative from his full-back position, and his defensive performance has never been great either, with less than two combined tackles and interceptions per game. I haven’t left any.
Securing a deal to bring Mumba to Elland Road from Plymouth this month will allow Farke to upgrade Byram from a defensive and attacking perspective.
Why Leeds should sign Bali Mumba
Firstly, the 23-year-old prodigy is eight years younger than Byram, meaning Leeds could sign him not only as a short-term upgrade to their team, but also as a long-term investment.
Farke will be able to develop Mumba, much like he did during his time at Norwich, and help him realize his potential and turn him into a valuable asset over the coming years.
His performances in this season’s Championship with Plymouth already suggest he could come in as a significant upgrade to Byram from a defensive perspective, as shown in the table below.
23/24 Championship
Sam Byram
Bali Mumba
Appearance
twenty one
twenty five
Tackles + Interceptions per game
1.7
3.0
Clearance per game
1.0
1.8
Duels won per match
2.8
5.0
Key paths per game
0.3
0.6
Statistics by Sofascore
The former Sunderland and Norwich starlet, like Byram, can play at left-back or right-back to cover both flanks, winning tackles and duels, making clearances and interceptions, while being more defensive. It has the potential to provide defensive protection.
Mumba also has the potential to be more capable at the top end of the pitch as part of a dominant team, but he hasn’t been able to do so in a struggling Plymouth side and Leeds’ current squad is As mentioned above, it doesn’t have much to offer in that regard. respect.
In Ligue 1 during the title-winning 2022/23 season, the flying defender scored six goals and provided seven assists in 37 starts for the Pilgrims. This shows he can be an attack-minded full-back who can jump forward and make an impact. In the last third.
Falke therefore signed Mumba and created a major upgrade for Byram by helping Mumba rediscover his attacking talent while retaining the defensive qualities that made him stand out in his performances for Plymouth this season. could be excavated.
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Leeds United are said to be interested in the Championship attacker.
It is now up to the club to act on their interest in the Championship star and agree a deal to bring him to Elland Road before next month’s deadline expires.
