Leeds United will pray that their flawless start to 2024 in the Championship means they can keep up the pace with the automatic promotion spots in the division, Daniel Farke’s Whites picking up three wins on the trot which included a dramatic 2-1 victory against Preston North End last match.
The win was secured without star-man Crysencio Summerville even getting on the scoresheet, as his partner on the right-hand flank Daniel James scored to equalise with impact substitute Joel Piroe then winning the tense affair from the penalty spot right at the end.
Farke will be overjoyed by the character on display from his team to dig deep and pick up a win at the death, but the German boss in the Elland Road dug-out will want to strengthen his squad here and there in January with new additions even still.
One position that Leeds are definitely looking to upgrade this month is the left-back spot, even with a revitalised Junior Firpo currently loving life playing in that role.
Leeds’ search for a new left-back
Football Insider revealed last week that Leeds are in for Luton Town man Ryan Giles, the 23-year-old changing between playing at left-back and further forward at left-midfield for the newly promoted Premier League Hatters this season.
Struggling to adjust to his new surroundings at Kenilworth Road this campaign since joining in the summer, Leeds are now trying to land Giles on a loan deal to add strength in depth to their left-hand side.
However, a further development from TEAMtalk suggests that Hull City are in the driver’s seat to sign Giles over the Whites – the Championship promotion hopefuls potentially losing out to the Tigers again in a transfer battle, with Liam Rosenior’s men pipping Leeds to the post to land Fabio Carvalho earlier in the transfer window.
Yet, even though the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man is struggling to traverse choppy waters in the Premier League currently, the current Luton number 26 would be a worthwhile addition to the Leeds ranks based on the numbers he’s managed at second-tier level previously.
How Giles fits into the Leeds team
In his last full season in the Championship playing for Middlesbrough, Giles amassed 12 assists in all competitions for Michael Carrick’s men.
Even before this breakthrough season, Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray labelled Giles as a “fantastic talent” when the expansive full-back was loaned out to the Riversiders to cut his teeth.
If Giles can replicate his Boro form at Elland Road therefore, Summerville could be an even more frightening prospect for Championship defenders to try and nullify.
The Luton man averaging 5.37 progressive passes received over the last year on average per 90 minutes – bettering Firpo’s lesser 2.16 by some distance – Giles would just give the Whites so much more going forward and could well link up with Summerville in devastating fashion.
Moreover, Giles could easily slot into the side and play the role Firpo excelled in versus Preston.
The slaloming 23-year-old turned previously goal-shy Chuba Akpom into a deadly machine in front of goal with cross after cross into the area at the Riverside Stadium during the 2022/23 season, Akpom netting 28 goals the same campaign Giles became a Boro assist king.
Showing glimpses of his quality for Luton last month versus Sheffield United – winning 100% of his duels alongside notching up a key pass in the 3-2 win – Farke will aim to beat the Tigers to the £35k per week man’s signature to add an aggressive and forward-thinking full-back to his ranks this January.
By doing so, Leeds could well get even more wins on the board as a result and show they mean business in the promotion hunt.
