According to a recent report by Hull Daily Mail, Leeds United are in contention to lure Joe Bryan to the Elland Road. The left-back slot is one of the areas which The Whites have been aiming to strengthen ever since the departure of Neil Taylor but haven’t been successful in their pursuit. Thus, their apparent interest to sign Bryan makes a lot of sense.
However, it goes without saying that Leeds United will have to loosen their purse strings quite a bit to make him sign on the dotted line. Moreover, the likes of Middlesbrough, Everton and Burnley have also expressed their interest to sign him, as per the reports. The versatile left-back is one of the highly rated stars in the ranks of Bristol City and the Robins must be reluctant to let him move out of the Ashton Gate Stadium.
Bryan emerged through the youth ranks of Bristol City and has been playing on a regular basis for his current employers for quite some time now. Capable of operating from the left-back slot, left-wing as well as the right-back position, the 24-year-old is versatile and at the same time, he has garnered a substantial amount of experience of English football under his belt.
He played 43 times in the Championship last season and managed to find the back of the net on 5 occasions. Besides, he also accumulated 3 assists to his name. Coming to the defensive aspect of his game, Bryan registered 2.9 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 3.1 clearances and 0.3 blocks per game on an average and no wonder he is being pursued by some big clubs.
The Englishman, if his move to Leeds United materializes, will be a smashing signing for The Whites for the upcoming seasons. He is a modern-day fullback who loves to gallop forward time and again to manoeuvre crosses into the box and despite his adventurous mindset, he knits a fine balance between his offensive and defensive endeavours.
Bryan is an astute reader of the game and is a calm figure at the back. He has the potential to add an edge down the left, something which Leeds United have missed on many occasions last season. The Peacocks were sluggish last season and failed to impose a serious challenge for promotion. They need to up the ante this time around and Bryan’s addition to the club would uplift the quality of their arsenal to a large extent.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored