Leeds United remain in the race to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking following their relegation from the top-flight at the end of last season.
The Whites are currently seven points behind Ipswich Town in second place and will need to overtake the Tractor Boys and Southampton, unless Leicester City drop below them, to secure a top two finish.
Leicester
1
27
65
Ipswich
2
27
58
Southampton
3
27
55
Leeds
4
27
51
As you can see in the table above, it is tight from second to third place and Leeds could use the January transfer window to provide themselves with a boost ahead of the second half of the campaign.
The Yorkshire-based side have been credited with an interest in a proven Championship attacker who could be a fantastic signing for Daniel Farke's side this month.
Leeds United's search for a new attacker
It was recently reported by the printed edition of The Mirror, as relayed by TEAMtalk, that the Whites are interested in a deal to sign Amad Diallo from the Premier League outfit Manchester United.
The outlet claimed that Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Southampton are also eyeing up a swoop for the Ivory Coast international, who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at the Stadium of Light.
This suggests that Leeds face serious competition to land his signature and could need to fight hard to convince the forward that a move to Elland Road is in his best interests.
They could also need to convince Manchester United to part ways with him as The Daily Mail recently claimed that they could keep hold of him for the rest of the season.
He is said to have impressed Erik ten Hag in training since returning from an injury that was sustained in pre-season last year and is now being viewed as cover for the club's first-choice attackers.
Therefore, this is not a straightforward deal for Leeds to complete as there are many different factors at play and issues to resolve before they could snap him up.
However, if United do decide to send him out on loan and Farke is able to win the race for his signature then the German tactician could secure his own version of Raphinha.
The Brazilian forward was the last left-footed right winger to light up Elland Road on a regular basis with his majestic performances on the pitch, which is what Amad could do at Championship level over the next five months.
Raphinha's record at Leeds
Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta snapped the impressive forward up from Ligue 1 side Rennes ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and he went on to enjoy two fantastic seasons with the club.
Raphinha hit the ground running in the Premier League for the Argentine head coach with an excellent return of six goals and nine assists in 30 appearances.
He was one of the top performers among his positional peers in the division in a host of key attracting metrics, as you can see in the table below.
Non-penalty goals (0.23)
Top 9%
Assists (0.34)
Top 1%
Expected Assisted Goals (0.30)
Top 1%
Shot-creating actions (4.58)
Top 3%
Progressive carries (3.89)
Top 5%
These statistics show that Raphinha was a terrific option for Leeds that term in the top-flight due to his immense creativity and ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
He followed that up with 11 goals and three assists in 35 Premier League appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign, which included a change of manager with Jesse Marsch coming in for Bielsa.
The Brazil international improved his output in front of goal as a scorer but his assist rate dropped. However, the sublime whiz did create ten 'big chances' for his teammates and could argue that his teammates did not make enough of the opportunities that he created for them.
Overall, Raphinha provided consistent quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals as a left-footed wizard on the right wing throughout his two seasons at Elland Road, before his move to Spanish giants Barcelona in the summer of 2022 – one year before Leeds were relegated to the Championship.
The stats that show why Amad could be Raphinha 2.0
Farke could now land his own version of the 27-year-old sensation by signing Amad, who showcased similar qualities in the second tier for Sunderland last season.
He spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan on Wearside and made a huge impact as Tony Mowbray's side made it into the play-offs. The on-loan star produced 14 goals and three assists in 29 league starts for the Black Cats in total.
Amad arrived at Sunderland after a fantastic career at youth level and a smattering of first-team appearances, and finally made his breakthrough as a consistent contributor in a senior environment.
Appearances
41
46
Six
Five
Goals
23
13
One
Six
Assists
Six
15
Three
Four
The left-footed wizard, who was hailed as a "joy to watch" by journalist Josh Bunting, produced three goals in 13 outings on loan at Rangers during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Last season, Amad ranked within the top 14% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Championship for non-penalty goals (0.35) per 90 as he provided a regular goal threat on the flank.
The £29k-per-week maestro also ranked within the top 15% or higher for progressive passes (5.12), progressive carries (3.72), and successful take-ons (2.16) per 90 respectively, which shows that the young gem excelled at progressing his team up the pitch in a variety of ways.
This means that the United prospect has the quality to be an excellent option for Leeds in deep build-up, as he can carry and pass the ball into dangerous areas, whilst also having the quality to be a difference-maker with goals and assists in the final third.
Therefore, Farke could have his own version of Raphinha if Amad can replicate or improve upon his Sunderland form at Elland Road this year.