Leeds United are fighting to secure promotion to the Premier League this season after they just fell short at the final hurdle at the end of Daniel Farke’s first year at the club.
The Whites lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley, one step away from the top-flight, after they missed out on automatic promotion by finishing in the top two.
They are currently on course to right that wrong as they sit in first place in the Championship table after 26 games, one point ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley.
The West Yorkshire outfit could have been three points clear at the top of the table if they had avoided dropping a two-goal lead to Hull away from home at the weekend.
Despite the strong position that Leeds are in at this moment in time, Farke could look to use the January transfer window, which officially opened for business last week, to bolster his squad.
The German head coach is reportedly looking to add another forward to the group and has his eyes on a player from one of the club’s Championship rivals.
Leeds United eyeing Championship star
According to LeedsUnitedNews, the Whites are interested in a deal to sign Middlesbrough centre-forward Emmanuel Latte Lath in the January window.
The report claims that Leeds are considering a bid to tempt the striker away from Michael Carrick’s team ahead of the second half of the season, as they want to add another number nine to their squad.
It states that Latte Lath is a player that the club like and one that they are now weighing up an offer for, although there is no mention of how much they would be prepared to spend on the attacker.
The outlet adds that Premier League sides West Ham United, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town are also keen on a deal to sign the 26-year-old marksman, which shows that there is plenty of competition for his services this month.
Meanwhile, Football Insider claims that Middlesbrough are demanding a fee of £15m in order to part ways with the Ivory Coast international, amid plenty of interest from elsewhere in snatching him away from Teeside.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It now remains to be seen whether or not any of the Premier League clubs or Leeds are willing to match their demands to pay £15m for the Boro sensation before the end of the January transfer window.
If the 49ers can strike a deal to bring Latte Lath to Elland Road ahead of the second half of the season, the 26-year-old star will have to compete with the strikers that Farke already has at his disposal.
The form of Leeds United's strikers this season
The Whites already have three recognised centre-forward options in the current first-team squad, in Joel Piroe, Mateo Joseph, and Patrick Bamford on the books.
They have contributed with 12 goals and eight assists between them in the Championship so far this season, with the majority of those coming from Piroe – the first-choice number nine for Farke.
The Dutch forward has been incredibly clinical in front of goal for the West Yorkshire outfit with a return of ten goals from 7.52 xG in the second tier, which shows that he has more than made the most of the chances that his teammates have created for him.
Appearances
26
10
26
xG
7.52
1.91
4.86
Goals
10
0
2
Assists
5
0
3
As you can see in the table above, Bamford and Joseph have not had as much luck in front of goal with the high-quality opportunities that have come their way in the Championship – with two goals from almost eight Expected Goals.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could be in trouble if Piroe suffers an injury, as the other two forwards in the squad have been unreliable in the final third this term.
However, the signing of Latte Lath could provide Farke with an even bigger talent than Piroe, rather than just coming in as a back-up for the Dutch attacker in January.
Why Leeds should sign Latte Lath
The Middlesbrough striker has proven himself to be a lethal forward at Championship level since his move to Teeside from Atalanta in the
summer of 2023.
He has produced an eye-catching return of ten goals and three ‘big chances’ created in 17 starts in the second tier so far this term, which means that the Boro star has found the back of the net as many times as Piroe has in Leeds’ team.
This shows that the £15m-rated marksman can offer a similar goalscoring threat to the Dutchman, but he can also provide a superior presence on the pitch. Latte Lath has won 43% of his duels, winning 3.6 per match, whilst Piroe has lost 75% of his battles and only won 1.2 per outing.
This suggests that the Ivorian forward could be a better option in tough away games to hold the ball up when the team is under pressure, as he is better at duelling with defenders, and that could have been useful in the 3-3 draw away at Hull when Leeds lost a two-goal lead.
Starts
31
23
xG
12.74
11.62
Goals
13
16
xG differential
+0.26
+4.38
Big chances created
3
3
As you can see in the table above, Latte Lath also outperformed Piroe at the top end of the pitch with his performances for Middlesbrough in the 2023/24 Championship campaign.
The clinical Boro star has scored 26 goals in the Championship since the start of last season, compared to Piroe’s 23, and started eight fewer matches than the Dutch striker last term, which suggests that the potential is there for him to offer Leeds a greater goal threat in the number nine role.
Bad news for Bamford: Leeds lining up swoop for "exceptional" forward
Leeds United are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the centre-forward this month.
ByDan Emery
Therefore, Farke could sign an even better player than his current striker because Latte Lath has the technical and physical qualities to be an outstanding centre-forward to fire the club to promotion this year.