Daniel Farke shares Leeds United transfer priority in ’emergency’ January verdict after Djed Spence decision
Daniel Farke has admitted that Leeds United are not looking to immediately sign a new fullback in January as the current situation at Elland Road is not an “emergency”.
News emerged on Thursday (4 January) that the Whites had sent Djed Spence back to Tottenham to bring an early end to his loan spell with the Whites, leading many to suggest that Farke had to move to sign a new fullback quickly.
However, the Leeds boss isn’t convinced that he needs to strengthen in that area before the end of the month, suggesting the current options at Elland Road have shown that they are up to the task already this season.
Speaking ahead of the clash with Peterborough [Leeds Live, 5 January] he said: “Not immediately. We were successful in the first 18 games when Djed was injured. We found some solutions. We won’t fall asleep.
“We brought Djed in because we know about the situation with Junior at the time and Sam Byram’s injury history. There is no emergency case. If there is an opportunity, we will analyse it. We are doing things that we are 100 per cent convinced.”
Risky business
Leeds United may not be actively targeting a new fullback signing this January, but that feels like an incredibly risky approach from Farke and the Whites given the current options available in that position at Elland Road.
Both Junior Firpo and Sam Byram have struggled with injuries throughout the season so far and the entirety of their careers, while Archie Gray and Jamie Shackelton are relatively young and inexperienced to be relied upon every week.
Maybe the German’s plan is to assess how his current options handle the workload between now and the closing stages of the January transfer window and then decide whether or not they need to recruit again and replace Spence.
If one thing is for certain, things can change incredibly quickly in the footballing world, especially during the transfer window, so you can guarantee Farke and Leeds won’t fall asleep just yet.
In other Leeds United news, Patrick Bamford has revealed how his Elland Road teammates reacted to one “ludicrous” new development