The Scenario
Leeds United had started the season in an appealing manner under the tutelage of Thomas Christiansen. They manoeuvred free-flowing and eye-catching football and backed that up with productive results. However, as the Championship season progressed, frailties started to emerge and a series of shambolic outings led to the departure of Thomas Christiansen.
Although Paul Heckingbottom was lured to the Elland Road, the situation has hardly improved and after 43 league fixtures, the Whites are placed at the 14th spot in the league standings with 54 points to their name. With this season pretty much done and dusted, it will be important for Leeds United to get their act together and come back stronger next season to mount a much more serious challenge for promotion to the Premier League.
Transfer Speculation
As per one of the latest reports by Yorkshire Evening Post, Heckingbottom is set to target Barnsley full-back, Andy Yiadom, in the summer. Yiadom’s current deal with the Tykes is set to expire at the end of the season and the Peacocks are mulling over signing him on a free. The 26-year-old was signed by Heckingbottom from Barnet in 2016 on a two-year deal while he was the manager of Barnsley and is well acquainted to the calibre that he possesses.
Attributes
Although Yiadom isn’t going to be a ground-shattering signing, he is a decent fullback and is capable of plying his trade as a left-back as well as a right-back. He is a good dribbler and thanks to his pace, he gallops forward time and again to create chances. Besides, he makes decent blocks and tackles and maintains a good balance between his attacking and defensive duties.
Season So Far
Yiadom has garnered 29 appearances in the Championship so far this season and has plundered 3 assists. Moreover, he has made 2.2 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 3.7 clearances and 0.7 blocks per game on an average. However, his passing accuracy has been questionable as he has completed merely 68.3% of his total passes this season.
Why Leeds United Need Him?
The left-back slot has primarily been an area of concern for Leeds. Heckingbottom has been forced to use his midfielder, Vurnon Anita, or youngster, Tom Pearce, in the aforesaid position but they have flattered to deceive. Signing Yiadom should be a good piece of business but there is no denying that the Yorkshire based club will have to pen a lot more deals to enhance the overall quality of their arsenal.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored