Jesse, It's Time to Cook! - What is Leeds Utd's Hectic Transfer Window All About?
At this early juncture, Leeds have already brought in six players, and only Manchester City have spent more. So what does this all mean for the Yorkshiremen?
If there’s one thing you can say about Leeds Utd, it’s that they don’t do things by half-measures. For Better or worse, Chairman Andrea Radrizzani is committed. This is Jesse Marsch’s first transfer window in Yorkshire and with a heap of money coming in from the San Francisco 49ers, as well as money for the fact that they are still in the Prem at all, there is spending to be done, and they are doing it. Only Manchester City have spent more than Leeds’ £95 (or so) Million, split across six signings, aided by a couple of outgoings (current and expected). So, what is this happening, and why?
Who’s off?
You can’t talk about the incoming changes at Leeds without first talking about those departing Elland road. First up, Kalvin Phillips. This one we kind of all expected. Regardless of whether or not Leeds were dragged into a relegation battle, Manchester City were always going to need a replacement for Fernandinho. Doesn’t help that Phillips has that homegrown quota that all Champions League clubs want, and also he’s very good at football. He will be sorely missed at Leeds, although for reasons explained later, they might be better off for it.
Another departure, not yet completed but nonetheless expected, is that of Raphinha. Leeds’ top goalscorer last season (with the benefit of taking penalties), the 25-year-old Brazil international is a wanted man. Arsenal, Chelsea and (lol) Barcelona are all after the former Rennes man’s signature, with a fee of between £50 and £70 Million mooted. I’d wager it being one of the two Prem teams, most likely Chelsea. Barcelona have supposedly had personal terms agreed for months but they’re also flat broke, dreadfully ran and criminally unbalanced as a squad. They’ve got Laporta on his hands and knees begging 3rd choice players to take pay cuts and forgo wages. How on earth they plan to give £50 mil to Leeds in any sort of payment plan that finishes its instalments before the heat death of the universe I’m not sure. Whatever happens, Leeds will need to replace him, current additions (more on them later) aren’t enough, but that money can go a long way.
Elsewhere, there have been a couple other moves, but little of interest. Most noteworthy is Tyler Roberts’ loan move to QPR. Michael Beale is building something interesting at QPR and the Wales international will hopefully find form in a league he suits better.
Who’s in?
An important and almost incredible stat about Leeds Utd is that the last time they bought a central midfielder before this transfer window was in 2018, when they paid Middlesbrough £4.5 Mil for Adam Forshaw. Four years is a long time in football, and whilst Bielsa was known for his great loyalty to his players, it seemed as if last season that midfield combo of the aforementioned Phillips, Mateusz Klich and whichever other warm body they could put in the centre of midfield, started to look stale and finished. They lacked bite, fluency and most importantly they lacked depth in that area of the pitch.
It was clear from the outset of this window that Director of Football Victor Orta wanted to strengthen this area of the pitch, and to his credit, he has done exactly that. Marc Roca (Bayern Munich), Darko Gyabi (Manchester City), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) and Brendan Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg) have all been brought in early doors with an eye to getting them embedded well with the squad during preseason.
The arrival of this latest gaggle of players tells us a few things about the changes Marsch is making. First off, this means being smarter, both on the ball and off it. Leeds under Bielsa were one of the most dogged pressers in the league, however far too many times last season it became far too easy for opponents to play through them. Marsch toned this pressing down a notch and Tyler Adams may be the key to fully implementing his style.
An intelligent, rangy passer with good defensive instincts and a great motor in him, Adams should be at home in Leeds’ midfield. Another change that these transfers indicate is the switch from a lone to a double pivot in the centre of the park. Adams has the skills to operate both these positions, although I would prefer him as the more further forward as he often likes to win the ball higher up the pitch. Last season, Leeds conceded far too much in transitional moments. However, they also scored lots of goasl this way, or at least tried to. Adams has the defensive awareness and physical prowess to win the ball in a 1v1 and cut out an attack, whilst also having the line-breaking passing ability and again, physical drive to either play through an attacker on the counter, or kick off the counter himself with a run from deep. This is an area where Marsch’s double pivot might suit Adams, running from deep, where another defensively inclined midfielder can step in to cover him.
Speaking of which, Marc Roca and Darko Gyabi, are also joining the club to play in the centre of the park. Roca was heralded as a prodigious talent in Spain but has seen his career stall in Munich, making only six starts since joining in 2020. Don’t let that fool you, though, any midfielder would struggle to displace Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in the Bayern pecking order, and Marc Roca is definitely a player. He styles more like Manchester City’s Rodri, than Tyler Adams, preferring to use his smart positional sense and timing to cut the ball out, as opposed to intervening in big physical duels. He’s also a confident, almost metronomic passer, the kind of settled presence Leeds have lacked in their midfield for the longest time. He could work on the discipline though…
Darko Gyabi too has earned Rodri comparisons. As I have written before, youth football is a lot lower of a level in every way than the top-level men’s game. That said, Gyabi is already being tipped to feature for Leeds this season despite being just 18. I’m not too familiar with him as I have never watched the PL2, but Given Marsch’s experience developing young midfielders at in the Red Bull group (Tyler Adams in NY, Mohamed Camara among others in Salzburg), I don’t doubt his ability to make something out of Gyabi in the same way.
Further back on the pitch, Rasmus Kristensen also signed from Red Bull Salzburg. The full back is one of the less heralded signings for Leeds this window, but the £15 million fee suggests that he will be expected to start. That might be a little point of friction as the Danish right-back occupies the same position as one of Leeds’ captains, Luke Ayling. I say captains, plural, because four players wore the armband last season, the departed Kalvin Phillips (once), the long term injured Stuart Dallas (twice), Ayling himself and Liam Cooper, who missed almost half of last season through injury. After Marsch took over last season, Cooper did pklay, although he wasn’t a nailed on starter, if Ayling is being phased out in the same way then that’s a lot of leadership to lose out on.
That said, I do sort of like this transfer. Kristensen isn’t flashy, he wont win awards, but he likely fits Marsch’s vision more than Ayling does. Marcelo Bielsa, as good as he was, is no longer employed by Leeds Utd. The club seems to understand that they need to draw a line underneath his reign and if changing right-backs is how he does that, I can get behind this move.
Now, in attack are where the real showpiece moves have been, none bigger than the £29 Million move for Red Bull Salzburg starlet Brendan Aaronson. A 21-cap USA international already, Aaronson is a bona-fide #10 with all that comes with it, something Leeds sorelyl have lacked. Unlike Jack Harrison, who is more often used as a winger, and Rodrigo, who has struggled to adapt to the Premier league, Aaronson is a total creative dynamo.
Aaronson has been a standout in a Red Bull team stacked with talent. He’s been touted with a move for a while and it looks as if Leeds have stolen a march on a few bigger teams. The former Philadelphia Union man is not just a dogged presser, but an intelligent one. He’s the definition of defending from the front, but don’t let that take away from the rest of his game. Aaronson has a deft touch and immense close control that can see him maintain possession in a crowd of players or lay the ball off neatly to any onrushing teammate in a counter-attacking situation. He’s unselfish and workmanlike, skills that will make him popular in the Premier League, but h comes with bags of technical skill. This is one move I’m really excited about.
The only signing so far that I have yet to cover is that of Colombian left-winger (not that kind) Luis Sinisterra. I’ve waxed lyrical about Sinisterra the Feyenoord side he joins from (click here to read), so this is a signing I’m very interested by, not just for what he can bring to the side, but the move’s implications.
Sinisterra plays usually on the left side inhabited currently by Jack Harrison at Leeds, and not on Raphinha’s preferred right hand. It means, dear reader, that there is more to come, Leeds arent finished, and that Sinisterra might have come in regardless of any succession planning for his fellow South American. It also helps that Leeds will have another goalscoring outlet, alongside Harrison, should Bamford miss the majority of the season through injury as he did last term.
What does this mean?
In short? I don’t know. Well, kinda. I know that on paper these are some good buys on the whole. They will bring not only a familiarity with Marsch’s style but also a variety of top level experience from across Europe. They are all still young so have not only room to grow, but room to be moulded by the manager. They also spiritually represent a line in the sand between the Bielsa and Marsch eras, something I think the club and its fans need.
On the whole, more is necessary if Leeds want to be assured of safety next season. A proper striker content to play backup to Patrick Bamford but equally able to come in and replace him if (when) he gets injured again is a MUST, as is a proper replacement for Raphinha following his impending exit. Whilst the incoming defensive midfielders will tighten up the backline by proxy, another centre-back better with more confidence on the ball would be nice too. The work is not done at Elland Road, but Jesse Marsch has something cooking, and I’m interested to see…
Unrelated but Jesse Marsch definitely says “Alright gang” when addressing his players.