Leeds United kick their 2024/25 Championship campaign next weekend as they prepare to play host to Portsmouth at Elland Road next Saturday.
The Whites have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their opening game as Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville has completed a move to Premier League side West Ham United.
Daniel Farke has yet to add a winger to bolster his squad this summer but has landed Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, and Jayden Bogle.
It will be difficult to replace the 19 goals Summerville scored in the league last term and they could look to do so by adding goals across the pitch, which may be why they have their eye on a goalscoring midfielder.
Leeds keen on League One starlet
Football Insider recently reported that Leeds have registered an interest in signing Birmingham City central midfielder Jordan James this summer.
The outlet claimed that the West Yorkshire outfit are in the market to bolster their options in the middle of the park and have a ‘strong’ interest in the Welsh youngster.
However, it may not be an easy deal to complete as HITC previously reported that Ipswich Town and Newcastle United are also eyeing up the 20-year-old star, who is valued at £10m by the League One club.
If Leeds do manage to win the race for his services, though, they could land a dream signing for Georginio Rutter by providing him with a midfielder who can make the most of his creativity.
Why Jordan James would be a dream for Georginio Rutter
In the 2023/24 campaign, no central midfielder for Leeds managed more than one league goal in the Championship, which shows that Farke’s side lacked a goal threat from that position.
Meanwhile, Rutter created a staggering 22 ‘big chances’ and made 86 key passes across 45 appearances in the division, only to be rewarded with 15 assists.
This suggests that the French star’s teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing at times. This is why James could be a dream signing for the attacking midfielder, as he has proven himself to be an adept finisher at Championship level.
23/24 Championship
Jordan James
Appearances
42
Starts
25
xG
4.23
Goals
8
Big chances missed
2
Conversion rate
20%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Wales international plundered an eye-catching eight goals in just 25 starts as a central midfielder in the second tier last term.
He outperformed his xG by almost four goals, which speaks to the quality nature of his finishing, and only missed two ‘big chances’ in total in 42 matches.
The £10m-rated dynamo, who was described as “impressive” by journalist Josh Bunting, has the movement and quality at the top end of the pitch to provide a strong goalscoring threat as a number eight, which is something Leeds lacked last season.
Therefore, James could be a dream for Rutter as the French wizard could finally have a central midfielder with the ability to finish off the chances that he can create on a regular basis, which could see the pair strike an exciting relationship up on the pitch.
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