Daniel Farke risks serious Leeds transfer blunder after what Brenden Aaronson did vs Newcastle
Brenden Aaronson was phenomenal in Leeds United’s dramatic 4-3 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Wednesday’s meeting saw Leeds go in front three separate times before Harvey Barnes scored a heartbreaking 102nd-minute winner.
Aaronson opened the scoring against Newcastle with a low drive from outside the box, and he later put the Whites 3-2 up with a fine finish off the post.
However, Aaronson then gave away a penalty in the 88th minute after Lewis Hall’s cross struck his arm, and Bruno Guimaraes made no mistake from the spot.
The whole match was a rollercoaster of emotions for Daniel Farke, but after Aaronson’s scintillating display alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the German head coach may reassess the potential option to sign Sevilla’s Ruben Vargas.
Brenden Aaronson excels up front in Newcastle vs Leeds
Vargas has been linked with a January move to Leeds, with reports emerging that the West Yorkshire outfit were ready to pay £17.5million for him in the summer.
However, an offer of around £8.7m could tempt Sevilla to sell him in January.
Tottenham and Aston Villa are also monitoring the Swiss forward, although no formal bids have been made for the 27-year-old.
The Whites may still go in for him, but Aaronson’s recent form has been exceptional, and he flourished in an unfamiliar role against the Magpies.
| Stat | Vargas |
| Appearances | 12 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Minutes played | 870 |
The USA international had played in midfield for both draws against Sunderland and Man United, registering an assist against the Magpies before scoring against the Red Devils.
He had played as a striker in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool on 1 January, but he failed to develop an effective partnership with Lukas Nmecha.
However, Farke chose to play him there again on Wednesday, and he linked up with Calvert-Lewin brilliantly.
Although Aaronson took up positions in between the lines rather than sticking tight to Newcastle’s centre-backs, his brace shows how effective Farke’s tactical change was.
This could be a solution that Leeds can use for the majority of matches this season, especially with Nmecha and Noah Okafor underperforming.
Vargas is traditionally a left-winger, and it would take time for him to adapt to playing centrally.
The 27-year-old has been out with a hamstring injury since mid-November, meaning he won’t be match-fit should he make the move to LS11.
Aaronson already has a head start on the Sevilla man, and Leeds could save their money if they focus on developing him further, rather than splashing the cash for Vargas.
Leeds have far bigger priorities to address than a striker
In all honesty, if Leeds had a striker as prolific as Calvert-Lewin, they would be nowhere near the relegation zone.
However, with Aaronson excelling in his new role, the Peacocks should look to add quality to their defence.
Joe Rodon’s recent spell on the sidelines has shown that Farke doesn’t have enough cover at the back, especially if he continues using three central defenders.
Midfielders Josh Mulligan and Kalvin Phillips could also move to Elland Road, and depth is needed to cover any future more injuries.
All in all, Aaronson has proved that he can be a big part of Leeds’ attacking firepower this season, and signing Vargas could turn out to be a mistake.