An update has emerged on Leeds United’s transfer plans as they eye up another fresh addition to the squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What’s the latest Leeds United transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Whites are in ‘advanced’ talks to secure the signing of central midfielder Glen Kamara from Scottish giants Rangers.
The report claims that Daniel Farke is now closing in on the Finland international’s signature to bolster his midfield options for this season.
It states that the Yorkshire-based team have beaten off interest from up to ten unnamed second-tier clubs to secure a £5m deal for the 27-year-old metronome.
So far, the Championship outfit have brought in Ethan Ampadu on a permanent deal from Premier League side Chelsea, whilst Newcastle United shot-stopper Karl Darlow is also reportedly poised to arrive at Elland Road.
How good is Glen Kamara?
The Light Blues maestro is coming off the back of a disappointing season in Scotland, as he only managed 12 league starts, but his previous form for the club suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent signing.
Kamara, at his best, is a terrific passer of the ball who can make an impact at the top end of the pitch as he is capable of creating chances for his teammates from a midfield position.
His sublime ability in possession could make him a dream for current Leeds winger Jack Harrison to play with, as the Finnish technician could provide the former Manchester City graduate with more opportunities to make things happen in the final third.
No Whites midfielder – with at least ten Premier League starts – completed more than 82.4% of their attempted passes last season, and only one (Tyler Adams) recorded a success rate of at least 80%.
Kamara, however, completed 91% of his passes for Rangers during the 2021/22 Premiership campaign, which was his last term with at least 20 starts, which is considerably more impressive.
The Gers gem did not achieve that by being safe with his pass selection, though, as he averaged 1.3 key passes per match for the Scottish side, which is 0.3 more per match than any Leeds midfielder managed – as Marc Roca led the way last season with one per outing.
This could make the £5m-rated magician, who former boss Neil McCann claimed is "made of iron", an ideal signing to help Harrison to thrive as the 26-year-old dynamo's goal output dropped from his usual standards.
The Whites winger scored five Premier League goals during the 2022/23 campaign, which came after he produced eight in each of his first two seasons for the club at that level.
These statistics suggest that Leeds did not get the best out of the exciting wizard and the lack of quality on the ball in midfield could be a reason for that, as they ceded possession far too regularly and rarely created chances for the forwards.
Kamara could, therefore, solve that problem due to his fantastic ability to retain possession by consistently finding his teammates whilst also being able to split open the opposition defence to fashion an opportunity for one of the attackers.
Harrison could then thrive, particularly whilst playing at a lower level in the Championship, as a goalscoring winger if he is playing alongside a central midfielder of Kamara's calibre.