Leeds United are back in action in the Championship this evening as they prepare to welcome Norwich City to Elland Road in the hope of gaining further ground on the automatic promotion places.
They are currently five points behind Ipswich Town, who held league leaders Leicester City to a draw on Monday, and can cut the gap to just two points with a win over the Canaries, albeit they will have played one game more than their rivals.
Leicester
1
28
66
Ipswich
2
28
59
Southampton
3
28
58
Leeds
4
28
54
West Brom
5
28
45
Coventry
6
28
43
Daniel Farke's side are vying to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking after the Whites were relegated under Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The January transfer window is currently open for business and provides the club with an opportunity to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season.
Leeds make move for Premier League starlet
Farke appears to be keen to improve his options at the top end of the pitch as Leeds are reportedly attempting to sign a young attacker from Liverpool before the deadline passes.
According to Football Insider, the Whites have made a move to sign Reds academy starlet Mateusz Musialowski to add to their attacking arsenal.
The report claims that the club have registered their interest in the Polish magician and are 'firmly' in the race to land his signature, amid competition from a number of unnamed sides.
It states that Farke wants to bring in attacking reinforcements and the Yorkshire-based outfit appear to have identified the Liverpool gem as a suitable target.
His current contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season and this means that the current transfer window is the Premier League side's last chance to negotiate a fee for his services.
The talented young gem could be an exciting addition to the squad as a player who has the potential to be a dream partner for Georginio Rutter at the top end of the pitch.
Rutter's partners in the Championship this season
Farke has deployed the French magician as a centre-forward and as a number ten at times and this has meant that he has been paired alongside Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford at different stages.
Both of those players, however, have their limitations when it comes to linking play and creating chances for their teammates to go alongside the goal threat that they provide.
Piroe, who joined from Championship rivals Swansea last summer, has plundered ten goals in 28 league matches this season – the latest of which came from the penalty spot against Preston last time out.
However, he has only provided his fellow attackers with one assist and has averaged 0.8 key passes per game, whilst the Dutch whiz currently ranks within the bottom 36% of midfielders for shot-creating actions (2.67) per 90 in the division.
Bamford, on the other hand, has contributed with two goals and zero assists in 19 Championship outings, although only three of those came as a starter.
The 30-year-old centre-forward has produced 0.3 key passes and amassed 0.49 Expected Assists in those 19 matches, which shows that both players rarely provide quality creativity when playing alongside Rutter.
Rutter's Championship brilliance
Meanwhile, the former Hoffenheim wizard has produced quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Leeds as either a striker or a number ten in the second tier.
The 21-year-old hotshot has contributed with five goals and nine assists in 27 Championship appearances for Farke's side, which shows that he has provided a double-sided threat in the final third.
Progressive passes (3.89)
Top 6%
Expected Assisted Goals (0.35)
Top 1%
Assists (0.36)
Top 2%
Shot-creating actions (4.45)
Top 1%
Successful take-ons (2.80)
Top 1%
As you can see in the table above, he is an exceptional creative talent who has the ability to split open opposition defences at a sensational rate, which is also evidenced by his return of 18 'big chances' created – the second most in the league.
These statistics show that Rutter is an outstanding creator who can also chip in with goals and Musialowski could come in as an exciting partner for him.
The stats that show why Leeds should sign Musialowski
The talented academy whiz is yet to make his breakthrough at senior level for Liverpool but his form in their academy system suggests that he has the potential to be a promising signing for Leeds.
Musialowski, whose "ridiculous" quality of goal was lauded by journalist Lewis Bower last year, has been in impressive form for the Premier League side's U23 squad this season with a return of six goals and two assists in 11 appearances in all competitions.
Appearances
Four
Sofascore rating
7.15
Goals
Three
Big chances created
One
Key passes per game
1.5
As you can see from the table above, the 20-year-old maestro, who can play as a centre-forward or as part of the three behind a striker, is capable of scoring and creating goals.
He produced six key passes in those four outings. Based on their aforementioned respective averages this season, it would take Piroe over seven league matches to reach six chances created and a staggering 20 games for Bamford.
Alongside his creativity, Musialowski has been an impressive scorer for the Reds with 29 goals in 74 appearances for their U23 and U18 teams combined.
There is no guarantee that he will be able to translate his performances over to first-team level but it appears to be a worthwhile gamble for Leeds to take before the end of the January transfer window.
At the age of 20, the 5 foot 9 youngster still has plenty of years left to develop and improve and could thrive under Farke's coaching, which has turned Rutter into one of the best creators in the Championship – as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics.
Therefore, Leeds could unearth an exciting partner for the French dynamo in the final third if Musialowski can translate his ability to score goals and create chances to first-team level to offer more than Bamford and Piroe as an all-round forward.
