Deal in advanced stages: Leeds well placed to sign Ampadu 2.0 this month
Leeds United are continuing to perform in the Premier League, despite some obstacles being in their way.
Even with first-team stalwart Joe Rodon being on the sidelines through injury, Daniel Farke’s men have managed to battle well to two draws on the spin versus Liverpool and Manchester United, the second of which saw Ruben Amorim lose his job at the Red Devils.
Farke’s men are now eight points clear of the Premier League drop zone, but the German won’t be counting his chickens just yet when it comes to survival, with the ex-Norwich City manager surely keen for some January additions at Elland Road to boost his valiant team even more.
Leeds well placed to secure Premier League defender's signature
The likes of Sebastiaan Bornauw have bravely stepped up into the first team ranks, with Rodon out with an ankle problem, winning three duels when facing off against the visitors from Manchester.
Still, Farke won’t be completely content with the depth at his disposal in the centre-back positions, even as the Welshman edges closer to being fully fit, as a move for Union Berlin battler Danilho Doekhi continues to be talked up in West Yorkshire.
However, instead of shopping in Germany, Leeds could win themselves a Premier League-recognised defender with Football Insider revealing that the Whites are still well-placed to welcome Axel Disasi to Elland Road before the window is up despite the arrival of Liam Rosenior at Chelsea.
The report states that the top-flight newcomers have identified the ex-AS Monaco man as an ideal centre-back target, with a loan deal until the end of the season the expected move, to ensure Leeds are well-stocked at the back in the short-term. It’s said that a deal is already in the ‘advanced stages’.
Despite his complete lack of action this season at Stamford Bridge, this could go down as a shrewd bit of business, with Disasi impressing in flashes at Aston Villa on loan last campaign.
How Disasi can be Leeds' next Ampadu
Farke has been here before in shopping for Chelsea outcasts, with Ethan Ampadu once stuck on the fringes of the West London giants, before becoming a key first-team presence under the German’s wing.
It must feel like a lifetime ago for Ampadu that he was scrambling for any senior minutes he could get his hands on at Chelsea, with the 25-year-old now a crucial cog in Farke’s Premier League machine, as Leeds’ never-say-die captain.
Indeed, the £7m forked out on Ampadu’s services to free him of his Chelsea nightmare has gone down as money very well spent, with the 59-time Wales international turning into a resilient Championship title-winner at Elland Road, alongside now becoming a Premier League regular in West Yorkshire.
With an 86% pass accuracy average this season in league action, alongside winning a gutsy 4.9 duels per game, Ampadu has only improved up a division as a warrior for his side, with the number four very much living up to his “indispensable” tag once handed to him by scout Jacek Kulig.
Disasi will be aiming to have a similar redemption arc at Elland Road, if a move can be sealed before February’s deadline, having actually excelled at Chelsea in the past to prove he’s a Premier League-ready performer, before his minutes horribly dried up.
Disasi’s PL numbers
Stat (* = per 90 mins)
23/24
24/25
Games played
31
13
Games started
29
9
Goals scored
2
1
Assists
0
0
Touches*
82.1
52.2
Accurate passes*
64.3 (91%)
37.7 (90%)
Ball recoveries*
4.8
2.3
Clearances*
3.1
2.2
Total duels won*
4.3
3.1
Clean sheets
5
2
Stats by Sofascore
In the heart of Chelsea’s defence during his debut season on English shores, the Frenchman would be noted as a “dominant” presence in the air by the aforementioned Kulig, winning 4.3 duels a game, not too far off Ampadu at his Leeds peak.
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Additionally, with two clean sheets collected on loan at Villa from just nine starts, Disasi would be hopeful that he could be seen as a dependable figure Farke can rely on, much like Ampadu has grown into after deserting West London.
Disasi is clearly a talent that could explode back into life under the right management, having once been branded as Chelsea’s “best player” on a stern away trip to Manchester City by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, with Farke perhaps the motivating force he needs when considering Ampadu’s unbelievable turnaround.
He could soon work that same magic on the forgotten 27-year-old, as Farke continues to utilise his full squad between now and May, so Leeds don’t run out of steam in their efforts to remain in the Premier League.
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