News douzu00@gmail.com February 3, 2025 0 Comments

Leeds in pole position for “clinical” star

Leeds United have had a slow January transfer window so far. Daniel Farke’s side have not brought any players in, although there have been some departures from Elland Road. Charlie Crew and Joe Geldhart have left on loan, whilst Sonny Perkins has moved on permanently.

Incomings (From)	Outgoings (To)	Fee
None	Sonny Perkins (Leyton Orient)	Undisc.
	Charlie Crew (Doncaster)	Loan
	Joe Gelhardt (Hull)	Loan

However, the Whites are still potentially hoping to look for some incomings, with automatic promotion very much still in their hands as the business end of the season draws near. It is not out of the question that a new attacker joins Farke’s side.

Leeds target new attacker

Mike McGrath of The Telegraph reported on deadline day that Leeds are currently ‘in the box seat’ if Southampton striker Cameron Archer departs the club before the transfer window slams shut at 11pm.

They are thought to have ‘serious interest’ in bringing the striker in, although it is not clear if that will be a loan or permanent move. Burnley and Sunderland are also interested but a move to Elland Road for Archer seems like it is the most likely.

Why Archer would be a good signing

23-year-old Archer has got a pedigree in front of goal, although it has been a tough campaign so far in 2024/25. He has managed just two Premier League goals in a struggling Southampton side. Across all competitions, he has five goals in 25 games.

However, if there is one thing the former England under-21 international will bring to Elland Road, it is Championship experience. Archer has had two previous loan spells in the second tier, at Preston North End and Middlesbrough.

In 40 games in the Championship, he scored 18 times and grabbed seven assists. Impressively, that includes scoring two and assisting two for Boro in a 5-1 win over Norwich in the 2022/23 campaign. There is a reason football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as a “clinical” striker.

One player who Archer could form a deadly partnership with at Elland Road is Daniel James. The Welsh international has been in scintillating form this season for the Whites, scoring eight goals and registering six assists in 24 second tier games.

Most recently, James shone in Leeds’ 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City at Elland Road. The former Manchester United star grabbed two assists, scored and won a penalty, as well as creating three chances for the Championship leaders, as per Sofascore. It was an utterly dominant performance.

James could surely only make Archer an ever more deadly player in the Championship with the league leaders. The Englishman has a natural goalscoring ability, and James is a chance-creating machine, as the game against Cardiff showed, and the fact he has six assists this term.

Those two things will mesh together very nicely for Leeds. Having another natural goalscorer up front, combining with someone who can score and assist regularly and effectively, will be a huge asset for Farke’s side.

Whether this is a loan or permanent deal is somewhat irrelevant given that, in the short term Leeds’ goal is promotion. Archer could be the perfect player to help spur them on and return to the top flight.