MOT View: Leeds could strike gold if they get 23y/o back to his best as loan swoop mooted
Leeds United could land Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori during the January window and the Whites have a potential bargain on their hands if they can get him back to last season’s form.
As per the BBC, the one-time England international is likely to head to Elland Road this month should he leave Chelsea.
Tomori has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge this season after a breakthrough campaign under Frank Lampard last time out.
The Englishman remains highly rated in London and quite why he has been so out of favour remains a mystery.
However, for Leeds, it presents a golden opportunity to secure a potential bargain if he can rediscover some of his best form.
While it was his maiden Premier League campaign last time out for Tomori, he would go on to rank among the best in the division in a number of key statistics.
According to Wyscout, Tomori boasted the second-highest success rate for defensive duels (75.76%) in the entire Premier League last season – only John Stones at Manchester City ranked higher.
If the Chelsea man can get back to his best, he should fit in nicely to Marcelo Bielsa’s system at Elland Road.
During the 2019/20 campaign, he ranked inside the Premier League’s top 10 for ball progression via a pass, something that would suit him in a Leeds United shirt.
A clear focus of Leeds under Bielsa has been their ability to play out from the back and how positive defenders can be when in possession of the ball.
Last season in the Premier League, Tomori averaged over six passes into the final third per 90 minutes.
He also boasted a pass success rate of over 90 per cent during his 15 league appearances for the Blues.
There have been suggestions that while Tomori may only leave on loan this month, the player is also pushing for a potential permanent exit from the London club.
Bielsa is known to not be a fan of January business, so it remains to be seen if the Whites would pursue a permanent deal for Tomori at this stage.
However, if he can get back to his best at Elland Road, he could turn into a bargain long-term option at the back for the Whites.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay delivers key update on potential Leeds move for Rodrigo De Paul