Ex-England ace tips surprise team for relegation battle with Leeds United signing suggestion & Sunderland call
A former England ace has had his say on Leeds United’s survival prospects.
Former England star Chris Waddle has given his backing to Leeds United’s survival prospects in tipping a surprise team to become embroiled in the fight for survival.
Daniel Farke’s newly-promoted Whites fell into the Premier League’s relegation zone for the first time this season after three consecutive defeats in November which left Leeds third-bottom heading for their clash at Manchester City.
A run of five defeats from six had boss Daniel Farke facing questions about his job but Farke’s side then produced a stirring second half comeback at City, albeit one ending in a heart-breaking last-gasp 3-2 defeat.
Leeds, though, built on that second half display to then record a brilliant 3-1 win at home to Chelsea followed by Saturday evening’s amazing 3-3 comeback draw against Liverpool, results which have propelled the Whites to 16th and two points clear of the dropzone.
Former Newcastle United and Tottenham star Waddle believes Leeds could do with strengthening their squad in the January transfer window and suggests Leeds to look abroad for the best value.
Waddle, though, gives Farke’s side a fighting chance of staying up, declaring Wolves and Burnley as already down and tipping an unexpected team to enter the relegation battle mix which “could be” Sunderland.
Speaking to the YEP on behalf of WhichBookie, Waddle was asked if there was anyone he would suggest for Leeds in the January transfer window and reasoned: “I think Leeds will be looking at abroad. That's where your value is I think.
"You could be looking at Bundesliga, you could be looking at the French league, you could be looking at the Italian league and you might see some players who are at a good decent sized club who are not really getting game time.
"You can maybe look at them on loan and see how they do us until the end of the season. If you scour the market, I'm sure there's one or two players they would be interested in.
"But it's getting that finance to say ‘do we buy them, do we loan them as we don't know where we are going to be next season.’
“Will get dragged into it”
"If you sign them on a three-year contract and get relegated and you think then you can't afford them, there's all things to look at now, especially halfway through a season.
"But Leeds are in the pack, they are not cut adrift like Wolves are. They look like they are down.
"I've got to say Burnley look like they are down in a way.
"But Leeds are in that group of four or five of Fulhams and Brentfords and whoever where you think there's always a team who gets dragged into it where you don't think they look comfortable.
"It could be Sunderland, it could be somebody who we don't know but somebody will get dragged into it, they always do.
"Leeds will be in that group and saying can we just edge it and stay up."