Leeds United must accelerate £5.2m January transfer deal after latest Sam Byram injury blow

Leeds United must now accelerate their potential £5.2million January transfer move to sign Hellas Verona left-back Josh Doig after Sam Byram limped off with yet another injury against Birmingham.

This was the third time the defender has been forced off with an injury in the last seven weeks [Leeds Live, 2 January], as previous concerns about his injury record start to rear their heads once more.

Byram lasted just 18 minutes at Elland Road before his hamstring pinged, and with Leeds already actively looking to bring a new left-sided defender in, those talks will now have to be pushed to the top of the agenda.

With Leeds reportedly in talks with Verona over a £5.2million deal for Doig [Toro Goal, 1 January], they can no longer afford to delay, with the likes of Rangers and Torino both also interested in his signature.

Junior Firpo and Jamie Shackleton could be considered adequate backup at Elland Road, but both have struggled with their own injury concerns so far this season, and another blow to either of them could see Leeds caught short in defence at a crucial time.

Byram's return to Leeds in the summer was a welcome sight, back to where it all began and, hopefully, putting his injury issues behind him.

There was, however, a lingering concern over that patchy injury history, and that has now been proved right with a string of blows that have once again called into question the defender's ability to stay consistently fit.

Daniel Farke will no doubt be concerned over the state of his left-back situation and keen to bring a new option in for the position, as he admitted the club would enter the market for a new player in that role.

At just 21 years old, Doig already has plenty of experience in first-team football, making 32 league appearances for the Serie A club since he joined from Hibernian in 2022, where he had played 62 Scottish Premiership games.

That experience could lend itself to Leeds' promotion push as they look to kickstart their season after a stutter over the festive period, and a deal for Doig should now be the priority at Elland Road.

In other Leeds United news, a key player is attracting interest from one Championship side.