Leeds United boss continued to use the three-man midfield he tried in pre-season. Anton Stach, Ao Tanaka and Etham Ampadu were brilliant in the middle of the park on Monday night.
Unfortunately, Ampadu was substituted off with an injury late in the game. His status is being assessed ahead of the Whites’ next game this coming weekend. Playing a midfield three means that you need a variety of midfield profiles to make it work in the middle of the park. Leeds already have ball winners, and midfielders who can play box-to-box, but the club still lack a typical playmaker.
Brenden Aaronson, who played as the number 10 behind the striker last season, was used out wide when he came on.
QUIZ: Can you name the team Leeds United signed these players from?
Leeds United eye move for Brighton star
Credit: Imago
Daniel Farke will still be looking for additions in attack, including an attacking midfielder who can play as a number eight in his new system. It has been reported earlier this summer that Gus Hamer and Emi Buendia were on the shortlist. Bilal El Khannouss was also an option, but it looks like he will be joining Crystal Palace.
Brighton star Facundo Buonanotte is a surprise name on the list. Beren Cross of The Athletic says the argentine midfielder is very much an option in this transfer window:
“Never rule out another striker, but the direction of travel, as of this morning, seemed to suggest those three roles have the biggest chance of happening.
“James Justin and Noah Okafor, you will have read about. [Facundo] Buonanotte, [Bilal] El Khannouss, [Gus] Hamer, [Emi] Buendia and multiple others have been mentioned as 10 options.” he wrote in a Q&A session on their website.
Midfielder was likened to Lionel Messi once
Buonanotte is 20-years old now, but was given a rave review as a teenager by former Argentina forward Carlos Tevez.
“When he brakes and accelerates he reminds me of Messi.
“I haven’t seen a boy play like that for a long time, that gives me so much pleasure, and that I watch a lot of football.
“Facu has a great mentality, he doesn’t seem to be 17 years old. He is at a very high level, one thinks that he has no ceiling, it is where he wants to go . Today he is physically impeccable.”
The attacking midfielder’s style on the pitch is quite unique – last season on loan at Leicester in the Premier League, he had five goals and two assists. Buonanotte could be a perfect fit in this Leeds United team.
