The pendulum has, once again, stated to go against Leeds United this season as Thomas Christiansen finds himself under pressure after a bad run of results. The Whites were knocked out of the FA Cup after their third round defeat at the hands of Newport County earlier this month, and that hasn’t helped their confidence.
To worsen the scenario, Leeds United succumbed to Ipswich Town in their last Championship fixture, as the Tractor Boys secured a 1-0 win over Christiansen’s men. Midfielder Eunan O’Kane’s red card offence in the first-half did handicap them, but having collected merely 1 point from their last 3 league games, it goes without saying that Leeds United have some loopholes to address to enhance their chances of promotion.
As per one of the latest reports by the Northern Echo, the Peacocks have put Middlesbrough’s midfielder, Adam Clayton, on their radar and are believed to have sent scouts to watch him in action. However, it would not be easy for Leeds United to sign Clayton, as the likes of Cardiff City and Aston Villa are also closely monitoring him.
Clayton – the right option?
Christiansen’s apparent interest to acquire the services of Clayton makes complete sense, for he does need to add some more quality in the middle. Although enhancing their strike force is also another key area that needs to be addressed before the transfer window shuts, signing someone, as experienced as Clayton, would bring some freshness to their squad as the 29-year-old’s ability needs no mentioning.
Capable of plying his trade as a central midfielder as well as a central defensive midfielder, Clayton has accumulated 14 appearances for the Smoggies so far this season and has mustered a healthy pass completion rate of 89.4%. Besides, he has made 2.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.9 clearance and 0.4 blocks per game on an average, so no wonder he is a wanted player in the division.
Leeds United need to inject more steel into their midfield and Clayton could be the answer. With O’Kane banned and Ronaldo Vieira injured, the Yorkshire-based club need some additions to face the animosity of the Championship in the coming months. Clayton would be a shrewd choice. He has been sporadically used by the Riverside outfit this season and given that he played for Leeds United earlier in his career, a reunion has the potential to make an impact in their race for promotion this season.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
