Leeds United will end 2024 at the top of the Championship league after defeating Derby County 1-0 at Pride Park on Sunday.
The Whites are two points ahead of Sheffield United in second and three points ahead of Burnley in third, demonstrating how tight things are at the top of the table.
Daniel Farke’s side will need to be steady in the second half of the 2024/25 season to avoid dropping into the play-offs, as they did previous season.
The West Yorkshire club failed to earn automatic promotion and lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium in May, despite finishing third in the regular season.Leeds will be hoping for a better result this time around, and they may use the forthcoming January transfer window to strengthen their team and improve their prospects of promotion.
Interestingly, the Whites are apparently targeting a player who presently plays for one of the teams fighting for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Leeds eyeing Burnley star
According to The Boot Room, Leeds are one of a handful of clubs in the process of signing Burnley offensive midfielder Josh Brownhill in one of the next Two transfer windows. According to the source, Fiorentina and Lazio have made approaches to sign the Clarets captain, while Rangers and Celtic are also considering bids for the Englishman. Brownhill’s contract at Turf Moor expires at the end of the season, and he is yet to sign the extension that has been offered to him, with the two Serie A clubs now negotiating pre-contract agreements. Clubs in England will have to wait until the summer to negotiate a free transfer for him, and they may need to see if they can reach an agreement for a permanent contract in January, allowing Burnley to recuperate some of his fees.
According to The Boot Room, Everton, West Ham United, Leeds, Crystal Palace, and Brentford are among the English clubs interested in signing the central midfielder.
While it is unclear whether the Whites will be able to sign him in January or on a free transfer in the summer, given the fierce rivalry for his services, Brownhill might be an excellent addition, even better than Brenden Aaronson.
Brenden Aaronson’s performance this season
On Sunday, the USA international scored the winning goal against Derby County with a terrific run and a precise finish to secure a 1-0 victory in the second half.
This season has been all about redemption for the American midfielder, who left the squad to join Union Berlin on loan for the 2023/24 season. After being a member of the Leeds team that was relegated from the Premier League the previous season, Aaronson decided to relocate to Germany rather than help the club return to the top flight.This summer, however, the 24-year-old genius returned to Elland Road in an effort to redeem himself and assist the Whites return to the big time.
He worked hard in pre-season to earn the trust of Farke, who invited him into the group, and has emerged as a regular starter for the team thus far.
This season in the Championship.As shown in the table above, the American gem has started 22 of the club’s 24 league matches and contributed 12 goals and ‘big chances’ produced in total.
He has been unlucky, with five ‘big opportunities’ generated, to only record two assists, but has been relatively effective in front of goal, matching his Expected Goals total.While Aaronson has been a valuable contributor to Leeds at the top of the pitch, including the game-winning goal against Derby on Sunday, Farke might get an even better player in that position by winning the battle to bring Brownhill to Elland Road.
Why would Josh Brownhill be better than Brenden Aaronson?
First, the 29-year-old Burnley ace is an experienced star.
who has competed in both the Premier League and the Championship, implying that the team would be recruiting someone who does not require time to adjust to either tier and can strike the ground running. This means that signing him would be less risky than spending millions on a player from another league who has no prior experience playing football in England, as it is impossible to predict how they will adjust to the country or league.Brownhill’s form at Championship and Premier League level also suggests that he would offer more than Aaronson as a central or attacking midfield player.
In the 2023/24 season, the £45k-per-week whiz scored four goals and two assists in 23 top-flight starts, while also recording 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and a 56% duel success rate.
In the 2022/23 season, Aaronson had one goal and three assists in 28 Premier League starts while losing 60% of his duels, implying that Brownhill may have more to give in and out of possession at the highest level.As shown in the table above, the Burnley star has been significantly more clinical in front of goal than Aaronson in the Championship this season, while also contributing more defensively in each encounter.
These data from the Premier League and the second division demonstrate the quality gap between the two players and imply that Brownhill may help the squad both in and out of possession.
As a result, Farke should try to recruit the 29-year-old gem, who was once described as “energetic” by commentator Lee Hendrie, either in January or in the summer, as he may be an amazing addition.
Leave a Reply