Leeds’ first January signing could be one of the transfer window’s most intriguing gamblesplaceholder image
Leeds’ first January signing could be one of the transfer window’s most intriguing gambles | Getty Images
Leeds have been linked with a January transfer bid for a player who has struggled in the Premier League so far - would it be different at Elland Road?
After a rocky patch through the autumn which saw head coach Daniel Farke placed under significant pressure, things are starting to look up for Leeds United. Granted, they’re drawing more than winning, but the dramatic midweek defeat to Newcastle was their first in eight games. Get the January transfer window right, and survival could be achieved at a canter.
Leeds don’t, unfortunately, have a huge amount of spare cash to spend this month given their position in relation to the Premier League’s PSR rules, but there should be funds to raise some reinforcements – and adding fresh legs in defence will likely prove essential if they are to maintain their recent run of form.
Farke’s switch to a 3-5-2 formation has been a success but also placed a strain on a squad not originally built to cover a back three. Past Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol, the only natural centre-back in the first team is Sebastiaan Bornauw, and he has started just two games and may be on his way to 1.FC Köln over the coming weeks. Something has to change – and recent reports suggest that Leeds could be lining up an interesting gamble to give them the numbers they need.
Why Leeds might be ready to take a chance on Axel Disasi this January
Football Insider are one of several outlets to claim that Leeds are already in advanced negotiations over a deal to bring Chelsea outcast Axel Disasi to Elland Road – a player who has struggled since arriving in the Premier League and not one who would likely be at the top of most fans’ wish lists.
Disasi was inconsistent at Stamford Bridge before he was deemed surplus to requirements and while he performed respectably well on loan at Aston Villa in the second half of last season, he didn’t do enough to redeem his sinking reputation or to persuade a cash-strapped Villa side to make the deal permanent.
Now 27, Disasi was of course excellent in France with AS Monaco before everything began to unravel at Chelsea, and Leeds seem prepared to take a chance that they can get the defender back to something like his long-lost best. It’s certainly not a sure-fire thing, however.
Given that Disasi hasn’t performed consistently well for two or three years, it may seem questionable for Leeds to make a move for him – but aside from availability and the sheer need for numbers at the back, there is an undercurrent of logic to striking a deal.
Disasi is comfortable on the ball, an accurate passer and while he has had plenty of problems at Chelsea, losing possession hasn’t typically been among them. Given Farke’s predilection for patient build-up and a defence which can provide a solid passing base, signing a player like Disasi makes sense.
His versatility and capacity to play at right-back also means that he should be comfortable with the positional demands of playing on the right side of a back three despite primarily operating within a back four system for most of his career.
It’s also worth noting that only two of Leeds’ current defensive options – Rodon and Struijk – are as happy with the ball at their feet as Farke might want them to be. For all the mistakes he has made and for all the perception that he has become a busted flush, Disasi is still likely to prove better in possession that a robust but limited defender like Bijol.
Could Leeds sign Chelsea’s Disasi this January?
The question, of course, is what the terms of such a deal would look like. Were Disasi signed as a back-up option on loan, such that he could be sent back to Stamford Bridge if it didn’t pan out, there would be very little risk attached. Chelsea, however, seem keen to make the deal permanent.
There have been sporadic press reports that teams from elsewhere on the continent, notably AC Milan, may be prepared to take him off Chelsea’s books for good, and that would limit Leeds’ negotiating space. Chelsea are not likely to demand an excessive sum or fuss over the structure of the deal, but they want their much-maligned ‘bomb squad’ to be a thing of the past in the near future.
If Leeds are compelled to sign Disasi permanently or not at all, they would be taking an intriguing risk. There is talent and quality there, but Disasi has not been able to turn that into consistently strong performances for a while. He has a lot to prove, but much will depend on whether he is truly determined to do so.
Leeds do also appear to be looking at alternatives, or may simply be hoping to sign more than one defender if they can. Union Berlin’s Danilho Doekhi is more or less confirmed to be a target, with his side supposedly happy to sell him this month to avoid losing the Dutchman on a free transfer in the summer when his contract expires.
Doekhi, however, is not a technical defender and while he has been a sturdier presence at the back than Disasi over recent years (and is surely a more capable one-on-one defender in particular), he would likely have the same strengths and weaknesses as Bijol, and wouldn’t be the kind of ball-playing defender Farke might prefer as he expands on a tactical philosophy which wants Leeds to be playing out from the back.
Taking a chance on Disasi looks more sensible through that lens, but it all depends on what the stakes are. If Leeds get a deal which makes financial sense, then it could prove to be a smarter roll of the dice than may appear to be the case at first blush – or, perhaps, it could be another disastrous part of Disasi’s unfortunate decline. Either way, it could well be one of the more interesting signings of the winter window.
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