Daniel Farke would like more left-footed options in his Leeds United defence next season but as a German, he knows very well it is not the be-all and end-all.
The Whites have had only two left-footed defenders in 2025-26 in wing-back Gabriel Gudmundsson and central defender Pascal Struijk, who goes into the final year of his contract next season.
Until January Jack Harrison could fill in at wing-back, but did not look Premier League standard there. He was loaned to Fiorentina for the second half of the campaign.
It has not held Leeds back too much, with the versatile James Justin proving a good deputy for both, but still it has limited them tactically at times, so whilst there are admittedly higher priorities, Farke would like to improve his options there if possible.
"It has an impact, but also as a right-footed player, you can deliver top performance on the left side," stressed Farke.
"It's slightly different, because especially when you play with a wing-back, it's a bit more tricky then to deliver crosses on the first touch, and if you are perhaps not a left-footed player, of course, it makes an impact.
"But I also think about a player in former years like Philipp Lahm of Germany. He was a world-class full-back, he was probably used more on the left side, although he was right-footed.
"With James Justin we also have a player who can play there.
NATURAL LEFTIE: Gabriel Gudmundsson (right) (Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
NATURAL LEFTIE: Gabriel Gudmundsson (right) (Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
"But I mentioned in January, we looked at this position for specialists with a strong left foot, and it's definitely something we will look at in the summer because we allowed Jack Harrison, who can play this position, to leave. It affected us.
"It can also sometimes have advantages – for example, if on his side a left-footed player plays as a winger, it's a bit easier to defend the in-swinging deliveries.
"But to have another left-footed option at this position, on the top level – we have some younger players who can fulfil this role – would definitely be beneficial."
Managers tend to be particularly keen on the outside centre-backs in a three playing on their stronger side, so as not to close off parts of the pitch.
VERSATILE: Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm (left) (Image: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
VERSATILE: Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm (left) (Image: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
Leeds have been fortunate Struijk has only missed two Premier League matches, one a dead rubber, since they switched to three at the back at Christmas, with right-footer Sebastiaan Bornauw filling in effectively when the Dutchman went off injured at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.