Leeds United is looking to bolster the quality of players in their squad as the January transfer window opened on Monday. The team is aiming for automatic promotion back to the Premier League, and this month’s transfer window gives them a better chance of making the grade.
Before the second half of the season, Whites head coach Daniel Farke could increase his options by bringing in players to compliment his existing starting lineup at Elland Road.
Leeds has struggled recently, winning just two of their previous six Championship games, and is currently seven points behind Ipswich Town in second place.
It appears like Farke might benefit from stepping up his offensive this month since his team failed to score more than one goal in any of the four games they lost.
In light of this, the German strategist needs to press for the signing of Kerem Akturkoglu, a player who is rumored to be a transfer target and a potential major upgrade over Jaidon Anthony.
Transfer news for Leeds: Kerem Akturkoglu
Leeds was reportedly among several clubs interested in a deal for the Galatasaray winger, according to a December report from Turkish publication Fanatik.
According to the source, both Lazio of Italy and the Whites are planning a January transfer window raid to sign the gifted forward.
A potential winter switch has reportedly prompted unidentified clubs in France, Italy, and England to communicate often with the player’s agent.
Fanatik clarified, nonetheless, that Galatasaray would want to hang onto its important players and is not interested in approving the departure of their star winger this month.
Rather than capitalizing on their best players, they are only willing to sell the players they have previously placed on the transfer list and deemed surplus to requirements.
This implies that Leeds and the other interested parties may find it extremely challenging to close the deal before the window closes.
Though Akturkoglu would be a terrific addition to the team, things can change rapidly, so the Whites should be aware of any potential shifts in the Turkish side’s position.
This indicates that there is still hope, even though it appears doubtful that an agreement will be reached regarding his joining in January based on the information that is now available.
Farke ought to insist that the team persuade Galatasaray to make a trade, since having him at Elland Road would increase the team’s prospects of earning promotion to the premier league.
While Anthony has battled for game time and form since leaving Bournemouth in the summer, he possesses the attacking ability to consistently make an impact at the top of the pitch.
Anthony’s statistical season
The 24-year-old forward underperformed in the top division last season, therefore the Premier League team granted him permission to go on a temporary basis before the 2023–24 season.
As the aforementioned table illustrates, Anthony was not a reliable threat to score goals or create goals from a wide position during the previous campaign.
But the youthful smarty had drawn attention when they were promoting in the 2021/22 campaign. In 45 games in the second division, he amassed eight goals and seven assists.
Anthony may have been signed by Leeds last summer in the hopes that he might continue his stellar play in front of goal in Yorkshire.
That hasn’t been the case, though, as in his 18 Championship games this season, the English gem has managed just one goal and zero assists.
During those 18 games, he has scored one goal from 1.32 xG, yet to collect 1.0 xA (0.93), generated zero “big chances,” and made 0.4 crucial passes per game.
These numbers demonstrate that the loanee from the Cherries has not performed well at the top of the pitch, making him a disappointing addition for Leeds.
Anthony has not performed well enough in training to persuade Farke to give him regular starts, and the statistics show that he has not performed well enough as a substitute to warrant a spot in the starting lineup.
The numbers support Leeds’ decision to sign Akturkoglu
Akturkoglu, on the other hand, has been playing fantastically for Galatasaray over the last 18 months and might be a fantastic addition for the Whites.
The Turkey international participated in 34 Super Lig games the previous season, scoring nine goals, dishing out eleven assists, and creating 17 “big chances” for his team.
In 17 top-flight appearances for the Turkish powerhouses this season, the five-foot-eight wizard has managed five goals, five assists, and eleven “big chances” generated.
This indicates that he has averaged 42 goals and 0 “big chances” created in 51 league games since the start of the previous season, compared to Anthony’s four goals and 0 “big chances” created in 48 league games since the start of the previous term—one goal every 12 matches.
As you can see from the table above, Akturkoglu has also been productive in the Champions League for Galatasaray this term as both a scorer and a creator, although his teammates have let him down with their finishing from the opportunities he has created.
These statistics suggest that the “unstoppable” – as he was once dubbed by scout Antonio Mango – hotshot has the ability to be a difference-maker for Leeds in the final third on a frequent basis.
His knack for scoring and assisting goals could help them to turn frustrating draws and losses, as seen in the recent poor run of form, into more points to catch up with the likes of Southampton, Ipswich, and Leicester.
Anthony has not done enough, as a starter or off the bench, to suggest that he can help to close that gap and Akturkoglu’s impressive form for Galatasaray indicates that the Turkish gem would come in as a big upgrade on the English flop.
