Leeds United will have plenty of names drafted up on their shopping list, with every possibility mapped out as to who they can go after if a key member of the camp ends up leaving.
The likes of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville receiving interest this coming transfer window was to be expected, and many a suitor has already begun to test the waters with Daniel Farke’s men, but Ilia Gruev being eyed up by recent Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund might have taken some by surprise.
If Leeds are to lose the Bulgarian midfielder in the summer, the German boss could be eyeing up a transfer reunion with one of his former Norwich City stars to plug this gap in the middle of the park, who could end up being a dream replacement down the line.
Leeds looking at Premier League midfielder
As per the Athletic, Leeds are eyeing up a move for Oliver Skipp to improve the holding midfield positions in West Yorkshire ahead of next season, with that not being the only new recruit they want to take from the North London titans.
The same report notes that Joe Rodon is also on Leeds’ agenda, but that move could be dead in the water, owing to a new development suggesting Ipswich Town are in for the defender.
Leeds will hope they are at least successful in their pursuit of Skipp if Rodon doesn’t end up relocating, with the 23-year-old only making five starts for his current employers in league action last season, and in dire need of breathing life back into his career consequently.
How Skipp fits into the Leeds team
Farke could be the perfect man to get Skipp back to his best, having managed the tenacious midfielder at Carrow Road during the 2020/21 season in the second tier, which ended in the Canaries being crowned as champions of the tricky division.
Helping himself to a place in the Championship Team of the Season off the back of his heroic displays in Norfolk, Farke will hope he’s the missing piece of the jigsaw for his current Leeds side, in getting over their play-off final heartbreak and returning to the Premier League.
| Championship TOTS – 2020/21 |
|---|
| Tim Krul (Norwich) |
| Max Aarons (Norwich) |
| Ethan Pinnock (Brentford) |
| Grant Hanley (Norwich) |
| Rico Henry (Brentford) |
| Emi Buendia (Norwich) |
| Michael Olise (Reading) |
| Oliver Skipp (Norwich) |
| Ivan Toney (Brentford) |
| Adam Armstrong (Blackburn) |
| Teemu Pukki (Norwich) |
Gruev potentially exiting the club would also be forgotten about in an instant if Skipp did join the building, as well as offering Leeds another tough defensive midfield option, away from attempting to get Kalvin Phillips back.
Along the way to Norwich winning promotion, Skipp would garner the reputation for being a disruptor of play in the centre of the park, winning an average of 2.2 tackles per game, across his stellar 45 games.
In contrast, Gruev would win just 1.6 per game last season, with Skipp taking over his duties like a duck to water, if he is signed up by Farke’s men.
| Gruev vs Skipp – head-to-head stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat – per 90 mins* | Gruev (23/24) | Skipp (20/21) |
| Games played | 36 | 45 |
| Goals scored | 1 | 1 |
| Assists | 1 | 1 |
| Big chances created | 1 | 3 |
| Touches* | 47.1 | 68.1 |
| Key passes* | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Interceptions* | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Tackles* | 1.6 | 2.2 |
| Stats by Sofascore | ||
Blowing his Bulgarian counterpart out of the water in various other aspects of their midfield games, Skipp – who was referred to as being a “top player” by Farke during their Norwich days – could be a perfect recruit to reinvigorate a Leeds side down on their luck, to push on and go again next season.
He could well add another promotion to his career CV in the process if he does join, with Gruev simply a distant thought, if a move does end up being finalised.
Skipp – a player with six appearances to his name in the Champions League as a marker of his quality – will unlikely be the only bit of business Farke and Co make this coming transfer window, as Leeds look to strengthen ahead of another gruelling 46-game season, hopeful that they aren’t broken again at the end of it all by slipping up once more.
