Leeds United chiefs to acknowledge Achilles’ heel after Jesse Marsch’s January transfer admission

Leeds will need to shelve their historic disdain for the January transfer window next month as attentions pivot 180 degrees back to Premier League action after an enthralling finale to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. During the month-long break from domestic football, Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani took the opportunity to visit Qatar, taking in several fixtures at the tournament, while Jesse Marsch spent time in Peru before reconvening in Spain for a warm weather training camp with the squad.

As evidenced by their acquisition of Brenden Aaronson and initial ploy to bring in teenage attacker Willy Gnonto at a later date – before Leeds were forced to accelerate his Elland Road arrival – forward-planning is something which is given great consideration, particularly in the transfer market.

For that reason, Leeds are likely to have their targets lined up as the January window opens for business. Head coach Marsch admitted as much last month: “I think we're active, we've been active and Victor – this is one of the best parts about working with Victor – his clarity on what the market is and what's available and what are good fits for how we're trying to play football, is quite good.”

There is also reason to believe Leeds may lose as many as two first-team players in the next month: Cody Drameh and Mateusz Klich have attracted interest at home and abroad, and with a combined one Premier League start between them this season, neither are integral to Marsch’s plans. That said, Leeds’ Achilles’ heel last season was their lack of squad depth, which very nearly contributed to the club’s premature and untimely relegation back to the second tier. With the same personnel in charge of squad building and player sales, the club are unlikely to leave Marsch with a lacklustre contingent heading into the second half of the season, if Klich, Drameh or both are moved on.

Additionally, Leeds’ fragility in two key positions has shown throughout the opening portion of this 2022/23 campaign. At left-back and centre-forward, the Whites are still having to cobble together solutions with central defender Pascal Struijk out on the left and Rodrigo performing admirably, but perhaps unsustainably, in attack.

"I don't want to talk specific about positions,” Marsch said prior to his side’s 4-3 win over AFC Bournemouth last month. “We talked enough about the striker position in the summer and I don't think that that's gone away,” he added, acknowledging Leeds’ vulnerability in that particular area.

Since those quotes, beleaguered centre-forward Patrick Bamford has undergone minor surgery on a further groin issue, while Junior Firpo picked up another knock in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the beginning of December. Neither issues are thought to be severe, but once again, highlight the fact Leeds are currently unable to rely on two players who, in an ideal world, would be two of the first names on the team sheet, injuries and form permitting.

Whether that means Leeds enter the market specifically for an attacker and a left-back next month, remains to be seen, however it would go some way to building trust between supporters and the board, essentially admitting to the Elland Road masses: “We hear you”.