49ers can’t ignore major Leeds transfer they still need to sort out for Farke
Leeds United’s transfer window has the fanbase excited, and rightly so.
With Lucas Perri’s arrival at Elland Road, Leeds appear to have filled the most obvious gaping hole in their squad ahead of the Premier League season.
Jaka Bijol has been a statement signing for the Whites in the heart of their defence, and a move for Igor Paixao could potentially be United’s signing of the summer if the Brazilian winger ends up in LS11.
Whilst a marquee striker signing is needed for Daniel Farke next, depth is also needed in certain areas of the German manager’s squad.
Higher quality left-back cover is essential for Leeds
Whilst signing a back-up left-back will not get supporters as giddy as a potential move for Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, that does not make it any less essential.
Following the arrival of Gabriel Gudmundsson from Lille, Leeds now appear to have their new first-choice left-back going into the new campaign.
However, with the departure of Junior Firpo, Sam Byram is likely to be the Whites’ cover on the left of their defence going into the Premier League as it stands.
This simply cannot be the case.
Byram, 31, has been solid since his return to West Yorkshire under Farke, but having to rely on the academy graduate for a run of games in the Premier League would be a catastrophic error from the 49ers.
On top of being massively injury-prone, Byram is just not good enough for the top-flight.
| Season | Appearences | Starts |
| 2024/25 | 36 | 16 |
| 2023/24 | 33 | 24 |
The drop-off in quality when he deputised for Firpo last season was noticeable in the second tier, and this could get even worse as a result of United’s promotion.
Another issue for Byram is that he is right-footed and primarily plays on the left at this stage of his career, meaning the Englishman frequently cuts inside and slows down Leeds’ attacking moves whilst rarely using his weaker foot effectively going forward.
49ers must address this glaring issue
Isaac Schmdt could also find himself covering at left-back next season, but even this is not a prospect that should fill Leeds supporters with confidence.
The 25-year-old did not start a single game in the Whites‘ title-winning campaign and even found himself behind Byram in the pecking order.
Signings such as Lukas Nmecha and Sebastiaan Bornauw, whilst not being flashy additions, have added much-needed depth in key areas for Leeds.
If the 49ers don’t address this, they would be gambling that Gudmundsson hits the ground running for Leeds and remains injury-free for the entire campaign, with both in combination being highly unlikely.
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