Inside Elland Road: Brenden Aaronson praise
Leeds United could look to the January transfer window to solve their concerning issues in attack.
Leeds United’s attacking issues were on show again over the weekend as they lost 3-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion. Daniel Farke’s side had to wait until the 84th minute for their first shot on target and failed to score for a fifth game against a Seagulls side who hadn’t previously kept a Premier League clean sheet all season.
Elland Road chiefs would prefer to avoid January business but with the need for attacking quality so apparent, a mid-season addition must at least be considered. Unfortunately, the window is a difficult one but there are plenty of high-potential players not getting the minutes they need elsewhere.
Leeds will also need any new arrival to hit the ground running, making Premier League experience a potentially important factor. Below are three attacking options who could be considered with minutes lacking at their current clubs.
Ethan Nwaneri
Arsenal’s star-boy burst onto the scene with his first senior goals last season but has fallen victim to his side’s impressive summer business. With Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze joining from Chelsea and Crystal Palace respectively, the 18-year-old has fallen down the pecking order and has just 168 Premier League minutes to his name so far.
A left-footed forward, Nwaneri has tended to come on for Arsenal at right-wing but could also play as a No.10, in either position drifting into spaces between opposition centre-back and left-back. The teenager registered nine goals and two assists across all competitions last season and also scored in a Carabao Cup win over Brighton last week, highlighting his ability to perform against fellow top-flight sides.
The major question mark over a player like Nwaneri would be his experience, particularly given he has only ever played for Arsenal and therefore not been part of a relegation battle. The Gunners will also be keen to keep their squad as deep as possible as they progress in domestic cups and the Champions League while fighting for the Premier League title.
Fabio Carvalho
Another who has found top-flight football hard to come by, with Carvalho’s six Premier League appearances totalling just 102 minutes. Brentford spent £27.5million on the Portuguese attacker in 2024 but reports heading into the winter period suggest he could be allowed to leave on loan in January.
Leeds have previously been linked with interest in Carvalho, who has the craft and quality to fill a skill-gap in Farke’s current squad. The 23-year-old is more naturally a central No.10, however, and as a right-footer would be more likely to cut in from the left, a side already well-stocked with Noah Okafor first-choice.
Farke doesn’t look like switching back to a 4-2-3-1 formation any time soon and Leeds’ midfield isn’t strong enough to facilitate someone like Carvalho in a more central role. Brentford won’t likely be keen to strengthen a direct rival either, with a potential move to the Bundesliga on the cards.
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Romain Esse
Leeds’ Under-21s have very recent experience of Esse’s quality, with the Crystal Palace winger starring in a 3-2 win for Crystal Palace’s young side, for whom he has two goals and two assists in four Premier League 2 appearances. The £15m former Millwall man has been demoted to U21-level after first-team boss Oliver Glasner deemed his work-rate not good enough.
That is an obvious issue, particularly for a manager like Farke who values defensive work so highly in his wide players, but Esse is said to have responded well to his first-team dropping and has bags of quality. The 20-year-old registered a goal and an assist in just 138 minutes of Premier League football last season after joining from Millwall in January.
Palace might also be more open to such a move than teams like Brentford, given they are highly unlikely to be fighting Leeds at the bottom of the table. But neither Esse nor any other available wingers are close to perfect, highlighting the difficulty Elland Road chiefs could face come January.
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