Graham Smyth shares last-gasp Leeds United transfer admission as new January expectation emerges
Graham Smyth has admitted that there is an expectation that Leeds United will complete “one or two” pieces of incoming transfer business, before the end of the January window.
Daniel Farke is yet to add to his squad this month, with the only movement at Elland Road seeing a number of young or out-of-favour players departing Yorkshire, most obviously Djed Spence and Luke Ayling.
However, that could be set to change in the final days of the window, with the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth suggesting that there will be a couple of new additions made before the Thursday (1 February) deadline.
Writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post (29 January) he said: “The squad, as it stands, has been good enough to put them there or thereabouts and there is little reason to believe they won’t go on to finish in the play-offs at the very least, regardless of January strengthening.
“But there is an expectation, both inside and outside Elland Road, that this week will bring one or two bits of incoming business, for two reasons. Number one, the squad is small. Number two, it is creaking.”
Race is on
This message will be rather two-sided to Leeds United supporters. On the one hand, it’s great to hear that Farke is expected to strengthen his squad in the coming days, but on the other, it seems odd to leave such important business so late in the month.
Leeds’ squad is strong, in particular their first and strongest XI, but behind the curtain at Elland Road, there is an immense lack of depth, especially in a number of incredibly important areas of the pitch.
With Ayling and Spence leaving, a new full-back has to be high on the agenda while a new centre-back may also be on the cards with Pascal Struijk still sidelined through injury. Something needs to happen before the end of the month.
Hopefully, Leeds will get their last couple of additions over the line before the close of play on Thursday. Even one extra addition would massively boost their chances of automatic promotion this season.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has shared a four-word update on recent transfer speculation around Elland Road
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