Stockport County look set to lose star attacker Louie Barry with Aston Villa planning to terminate his loan and ship him out to the Championship, and while a mass clamour is imminent, Leeds United are unlikely to be involved for a couple of reasons.
The January window is drawing nearer for Championship clubs and with that should come some more concrete plans about what signings are required.
For Leeds, Daniel Farke is expecting a quiet window, but that isn’t something that the fans are going to end up tolerating, given what Leeds’ bad results have underlined as shortcomings.
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Could Leeds be in the running for Louie Barry?
One emerging transfer tussle in the Championship surrounds the uncertain future of Aston Villa talent Louie Barry, currently on loan at League One Stockport County – but not for long.
The 13-goal star in the third tier is reportedly set to see his loan cut short by Villa, per Birmingham World, with a view to loaning him out to the division above, which has piqued the interest of Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday already.
Football League World asked myself for a comment on the matter, on whether Leeds should also be in the running for this signing or not, to which my response was as follows:
“I don’t really doubt that half of the Championship are going to be on high alert if Barry is recalled from Stockport and is going to be shipped out to the Championship.
“He is definitely earning that chance to be playing higher than League One – he is sort of making a mockery of it at the moment with Stockport – but I don’t really see him as someone that Leeds should be looking at.
“He’s largely coming off the left at the moment for Stockport, and that would be another player for that side of the pitch that Leeds would have to find a way to fit into the team.
“He wouldn’t really solve any of our current problems when you’ve got Willy Gnonto, Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon all fighting for that position already.
“It would be a solution for someone like Middlesbrough given that they’re probably crying out for someone off that left-hand side, like they’ve got Ben Doak on the right.”
Which position do Leeds need to strengthen most in January?
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Attacking midfielder (no10)
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Is Peterborough’s Kwame Poku the League One answer for Leeds this January?
There is a winger in the division below Leeds that might be a much more viable solution to Leeds’ current problems than Barry would be, as talented as the Villa man is.
That player is Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku, in my opinion:
“However, there is a League One attacker that I do think should be on Leeds’ radar because of how much he fits, and it’s Kwame Poku at Peterborough.
“He’s got more goals and assists combined than Barry this season in League One, and he plays on the right, where he’d actually be a perfect fit for what Leeds need in the new year in terms of an attacking signing.
“His contract is up in the summer I’m pretty sure, Leeds need someone to play in that role, and we’d be able to get him permanently as well, so he should be an obvious target for me over Barry.”
Poku has turned down offers of a new contract at London Road, and is ready for a move up to the Championship with 10 goals and five assists already this season at the age of 23.
At the moment, Leeds require someone more capable of playing on the right than they do the left, given the lopsided options that Farke has at his disposal – Ramazani, Solomon and Gnonto all favouring the left and only Dan James being most comfortable on the right.
Poku, a left-footer, would add a great deal of balance to the side, and would ensure Leeds are avoiding a loan market where players are often either not playing or not fully fit.