Leeds could repeat their Kamara masterclass with January swoop

The January transfer window has now been open for over two weeks and Leeds United are yet to make their first splash in the market to bolster their side.

Daniel Farke has not made a first-team addition to his squad and could look to change that before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

The German tactician has already lost two first-team players – Luke Ayling and Djed Spence – and could aim to improve the depth of his defensive options.

After 27 matches, the Whites remain in the race to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking as they sit seven points behind Ipswich Town in second.

They could increase their chances of pushing up into the top two if they are able to bolster their squad with more quality in the transfer window.

Leeds’ search for a new left-back

Leeds are reportedly looking to add another left-back to their squad to compete with Junior Firpo and Sam Byram on the flank behind Crysencio Summerville.

FootballScotland reported earlier this month that the Whites are ‘hopeful’ of a deal to sign Glasgow Rangers defender Borna Barisic in January.

The Whites are eyeing up a swoop for the Croatia international and look set to face competition for his signature as that report stated that teams from the Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1 have made approaches to secure his services.

Barisic is out of contract at the end of the season and this means that any of the interested parties could sign him on a pre-contract ahead of a free transfer in the summer, or they could tempt the Gers to cash in on him now to avoid losing him for nothing.

FootballScotland also claimed, however, that the Scottish giants are preparing to offer the 31-year-old dynamo a new contract in an attempt to fight off interest in the creative left-back.

This suggests that this could be a difficult deal for the Whites to complete as they face competition from other clubs in major European leagues and the defender’s current team.

At the age of 31, Barisic would not be a long-term signing or an investment for Leeds and, for that reason, there is no advantage to waiting until the summer to sign him on a free transfer.

Therefore, Farke should push for the club to strike a deal for the impressive left-back this month as he could repeat the masterclass that was played with the signing of Glen Kamara from Rangers last summer.

Leeds signed the Finland international from the Scottish giants on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The 28-year-old ace came up through the Arsenal academy but only played seven first-team matches in England – for the Gunners, Colchester, and Southend combined – before his move to Dundee in Scotland.

There was no guarantee that Kamara would adapt to life in the Championship and this made it somewhat of a risky signing for Farke ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, the Finnish whiz has hit the ground running at Elland Road and established himself as a key player in midfield for the German tactician.

Kamara has played 19 Championship matches for the Whites and showcased his physical strength with a duel success rate of 62%, which shows that opposition players find it hard to get the better of him.

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds gem has been one of the best passers, among central midfielders, in the second tier this season.

He has consistently progressed the play and has been extremely efficient in his use of the ball to help his side control and dominate matches whilst also being able to create chances and unlock the opposition.

Why Borna Barisic could be the next Kamara

Notably described as a “one-man meme machine” by one Guardian columnist after a display in the fierce Old Firm derby, Barisic could follow in Kamara’s footsteps and arrive as an excellent signing from Rangers for Leeds in the Championship as a creative full-back.

Firpo and Byram are Farke’s current options at left-back and have been solid operators in their respective minutes on the pitch so far this season.

As you can see in the table above, both players have been fairly average in terms of their physical output as they have almost won as many duels as they have lost in the Championship.

Neither of them have created at least one chance per match for their teammates, either, and this suggests that there is scope for Farke to improve the attacking quality of his side by bringing in a left-back who can offer more going forward.

Barisic’s form for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership suggests that the Croatian ace has the ability to offer far more in possession than Firpo and Byram during the second half of the campaign.

The 31-year-old talent, who former teammate Nikola Katic claimed is “superior” to any other left-back the Gers could sign, has produced 2.2 key passes per game across 11 league outings this season.

This comes after the Leeds target racked up nine assists, 12 ‘big chances’ created, and 2.3 key passes per match in 30 games for the Scottish side during the 2022/23 league campaign, which shows that he can be a difference-maker in the final third.

The £21k-per-week maestro can split open opposition defences with his excellent passing and crossing to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis, which Byram and Firpo have been unable to do.

Barisic has also showcased his defensive quality with 2.5 tackles and interceptions and a duel success rate of 61% in the Premiership this season, which suggests that the potential is also there for him to offer more physicality than Farke’s current options.

Therefore, the German head coach could repeat his Kamara masterclass by landing another quality signing from Rangers before the end of the month.