Leeds United have just over two weeks left to complete any business that they would like to do before the end of the January transfer window.
Speaking in his most recent press conference, ahead of the clash with Cardiff, Daniel Farke stressed that it is important to be careful in the market this month.
The German tactician outlined the difficulties of finding appropriate deals in the winter window – citing that some players who are available have not played much football this season and others are incredibly expensive.
Leicester City
1
26
65
Ipswich Town
2
26
55
Southampton
3
26
52
Leeds United
4
26
48
West Brom
5
26
42
Sunderland
6
26
40
He did not say outright that Leeds are looking to bolster in the full-back positions but did say that it is 'obvious' where the club need to strengthen if you look at the depth of the squad.
The Whites sent Djed Spence back to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, five months earlier than expected, after his loan move from the Premier League side, and Luke Ayling has been sent out on loan to Middlesbrough.
Leeds transfer news – Borna Barisic
FootballScotland reports that Glasgow Rangers left-back Borna Barisic is an active target for Leeds this month, which would align with their need to add to their options in that area of the pitch.
The outlet claims that the Yorkshire-based side are 'hopeful' of a swoop to bring the Croatia international down south of the border before the end of the window.
Farke is looking to lure the experienced defender away from Ibrox but it remains to be seen how likely a deal is this month for a number of factors.
Firstly, the report states that no final decision has been made by the 31-year-old ace on his future and this suggests that Barisic has not made his mind up as of yet, which means that Leeds could need to convince him to make the switch.
FootballScotland also claim that Rangers want to offer the full-back a new contract to fight off interest from elsewhere as they want to keep him at their club.
However, his current deal is due to expire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign and this means that Barisic is free to speak with other teams to put pen to paper on a pre-contract.
Clubs from Ligue 1, LaLiga, and the Serie A have already made approaches to check in on his availability, and this shows that Leeds face serious competition for his signature.
The Whites will need to convince the Croatian dynamo that a drop down to the Championship is more worthwhile than possibly playing in one of Europe's major leagues – possibly with the carrot that promotion to the Premier League is still on the cards.
If Farke and Leeds can strike a deal to sign Barisic from the Gers this month, to provide them with a fee instead of losing him for nothing in the summer, then the German boss would land a huge upgrade on Sam Byram at left-back.
Sam Byram's season in numbers
The 30-year-old defender was brought in on a free transfer from Norwich City last summer, seemingly as a back-up option at the time, and worked his way into being a key player for the manager.
Byram, who is naturally right-footed, has established himself as the first-choice left-back option when fit and has started 18 of the club's 26 Championship matches so far.
Last season, the ex-West Ham enforcer only featured in 15 league matches and started 11 times for the Canaies throughout the entire campaign, which has made his consistency – in availability and performances – somewhat of a surprise.
He has been a solid defensive presence with 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match and a duel success rate of 51% in the Championship this term. Only Ethan Ampadu (1.5) has made more interceptions per game than Byram (1.4) for Leeds.
However, the Whites stopper has not provided outstanding attacking quality from left-back, possibly due to being a naturally right-footed player.
Byram has created one 'big chance' and averaged 0.7 key passes per match. He has also averaged 1.97 shot-creating actions per 90 and racked up 0.06 Expected Assisted Goals per 90 in the second tier this season.
These statistics suggest that the experienced gem has been a reliable option defensively but that there is room for Leeds to bring in an upgrade in possession, which is where Barisic could improve the team.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Barisic
At the age of 31, the Rangers star may not be a long-term solution for Farke but he could be a difference-maker in the club's fight to win promotion with his ability to create chances from left-back.
The Croatia international has showcased his creativity in the Scottish Premiership for the Light Blues this season with two assists and 2.2 key passes per game across 11 appearances. This means that he has created 1.5 more chances per match than Byram has in the Championship for Leeds.
Appearances
30
Assists
Nine
Big chances created
12
Key passes per game
2.3
As you can see in the table above, Barisic was also a sublime creator for the Scottish giants throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his current form is not a flash in the pan.
He has also showcased his attacking prowess on the European stage. In the Europa League this season, the Gers star ranks within the top 9% of full-backs for shot-creating actions (3.60) per 90 and averaged 0.14 Expected Assisted Goals (xAG) per 90.
This indicates that the £21k-per-week maestro has the quality to be a huge upgrade on Byram in possession, as he can provide far more at the top end of the pitch when it comes to assists, key passes, 'big chances' created, shot-creating actions, and xAG.
The Leeds target, who was once hailed for his "magic" play by ex-boss Steven Gerrard, does not avoid the defensive side of the game, either, with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 61% in the Premiership.
These statistics show that he can also make defensive interventions to cut out opposition attacks and, interestingly, wins a higher percentage of his physical battles in comparison to Byram, which means that he could be a harder opponent for forwards to get past.
Therefore, Barisic would come in as a huge upgrade at left-back for Leeds and provide the team with another exceptional attacking outlet down the left flank behind Crysencio Summerville.
