We had a shadowed transfer window,  “undeniable”

Leeds United May Regret Their Quiet January Transfer Window

The only significant business Leeds United conducted in the January transfer window was the loan signing of Connor Roberts from Burnley to reinforce the right-back position, following the early termination of Djed Spence’s loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

While Roberts has proven to be a decent acquisition, contributing in matches against Leicester City and Huddersfield Town, he has also struggled with injuries in recent weeks. In hindsight, he should not have been the sole addition to the squad during the winter window.

Leeds’ Track Record with January Transfers is Concerning

The club has a poor history of utilizing the January transfer window effectively. Last season, the signings of Max Wober, Georginio Rutter, and Weston McKennie failed to make a significant impact in keeping Leeds in the Premier League, despite some initial promising displays from Wober.

The previous year, Leeds spent an entire month chasing a deal for Brenden Aaronson, which ultimately fell through, leaving them with no other targets and narrowly avoiding relegation.

Even during their promotion campaign from the Championship, the January window was a nightmare, with the disastrous signing of Jean-Kevin Augustin as a replacement for Eddie Nketiah, which has proven to be a costly mistake for the club.

Lack of January Reinforcements May Haunt Leeds

While a creative right-sided attacker was considered, with Manuel Benson and David Brooks among the targets, the more significant failure was the inability to sign a center-back.

Leeds spent much of the deadline day attempting to secure deals for center-back targets such as Harry Souttar, Ben Godfrey, and Joe Worrall, but ultimately failed in their pursuit.

With Pascal Struijk out for the remainder of the season and the partnership between Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon showing signs of vulnerability, conceding nine goals in their last three matches, the lack of a center-back addition has become a significant issue.

Ampadu’s presence in midfield could have been a solution, but Daniel Farke’s lack of trust in Liam Cooper and Charlie Cresswell has forced him to remain in the back four, preventing him from playing in his preferred midfield role.

Had Leeds secured a center-back signing in January, it would have provided Farke with the necessary resources to deploy Ampadu in midfield, potentially strengthening the team’s overall performance.

While the failure to sign a center-back did not seem like a significant issue at the time, it has developed into a concerning problem for Leeds United as they approach the end of the season.