Leeds United head into the January transfer window with a more defined outlook, placing greater emphasis on strengthening their attacking options as they look to bolster their Premier League survival bid.
The Whites have already made a move to enhance their forward line, bringing in Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton after he turned down an identical switch last summer.
The need for further attacking additions has been sharpened by recent tactical adjustments. A shift to a 5-3-2 formation has increased the importance of a reliable goalscorer, while a lack of depth in advanced areas has further highlighted the urgency to add more attacking quality.
However, Leeds fans believe that the club could be well-served if they bring in a new goalkeeper to provide more security to the defence after the alarming performances of Lucas Perri.
Leeds United have ruled out signing a new goalkeeper in January
Perri lost his place in the team in the 1-0 win over Fulham. Daniel Farke made his frustrations with him clear after the 4-3 defeat at Newcastle United.
The Leeds boss feels the team need more from their goalkeeper and believes in Karl Darlow, they have a more than stable goalkeeper who replaced Perri in the team.
Darlow is a steady goalkeeper who did well towards the end of last season and looked stable in the absence of Perri earlier in the ongoing campaign.
However, he is not a top goalkeeper, and Leeds fans feel a new goalkeeper could be a good addition to the squad in the winter transfer window.
But it has been claimed that Leeds are not looking to bring in a new number one before the end of the transfer window.
Daniel Farke seems content to continue with Darlow in goal if Perri doesn’t recover his form from now until the end of the season.
Leeds are making a huge mistake
Leeds are eight points clear of the relegation zone and have just one defeat in their last nine Premier League games. The need for a new goalkeeper does not feel catastrophic at the moment.
However, Perri has not looked comfortable in goal all season, and if Darlow had Farke’s complete trust, the club would not have splashed out on a new goalkeeper last summer.
The former Newcastle man looked steady in the run-in last season as well, but deep down, they all know that he might be good enough at this level.
| Statistic (per 90) | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| PSxG − Goals Against | -0.36 | 2 |
| Goals against | 1.60 | 16 |
| Save percentage | 60.0% | 1 |
| PSxG / Shot on target | 0.26 | 10 |
| Clean sheet percentage | 0.0% | 1 |
| Touches | 42.60 | 80 |
| Launch percentage | 43.6% | 86 |
| Goal kicks | 5.20 | 47 |
| Average goal-kick length | 56.9 | 89 |
| Crosses stopped % | 6.1% | 54 |
| Defensive actions outside the box | 0.80 | 21 |
| Avg. distance of defensive actions | 11.4 | 10 |
But Leeds seem to be happy to gamble on the goalkeeping position and address the situation again in the summer. However, this decision could have larger ramifications.
If the team hit another run of patchy form, they will need calm heads in defence and a goalkeeper they can trust. Darlow has been steady, but he is prone to making mistakes as well.
With Leeds keen to stay away from signing a goalkeeper, Farke will hope that the defence does not come under sustained pressure from now until the end of the season.
