Leeds United title rivals given January transfer hope as Premier League club beats recall deadline

Leicester City confirmed on Wednesday morning that Tom Cannon has been called back from his loan spell at Stoke City. The recall is believed to have been placed prior to Tuesday night’s deadline. Had the Foxes not made the call before midnight then the forward would have remained with Stoke for the rest of the season. Cannon's nine Championship goals for the Potters has made him a transfer target for Sunderland, who sit third in the table just a point behind league leaders Leeds, and a deal is now possible thanks to the recall.

Cannon's goal haul was boosted by four he scored in a single game against Portsmouth but he proved his awkwardness with an irritating and physical display in Stoke's 2-0 loss to Leeds earlier this season. Reports suggested this week that Sheffield United were also a possible destination for the 22-year-old targetman, who has twice been capped by Republic of Ireland.

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A statement from Leicester read: "Striker Tom Cannon has returned to Leicester City after being recalled from his loan spell with Sky Bet Championship side Stoke City. The 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international scored 11 times in 25 appearances for the Potters during his time at the Bet 365 Stadium, including four goals in a 6-1 win over Portsmouth."

Sunderland were known to be keen on Cannon prior to his loan move to Stoke City. He joined Leicester City from Everton for £7million in 2023 and scored twice as the Foxes won promotion to the Premier League last season. The Black Cats have already strengthened in the January transfer window with the loan addition of French midfielder Enzo Le Fee from Serie A side Roma. The 24-year-old only arrived in Rome in the summer in a €23 move from Rennes. It has been mooted in the national media that Sunderland could complete a similar deal for Cannon as they did for Le Fee, with an initial loan and an obligation to buy upon promotion.

Sheffield United are also expected to be busy this month, having struggled with injuries and squad depth in the first half of the season. On-loan centre-back Harry Souttar is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and captain Oliver Arblaster ruptured his ACL and could also miss the remainder of the campaign. Chris Wilder has been forced to include the likes of 17-year-old academy player Sam Colechin in his matchday squad in the Championship.

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Leeds continue to expect a quiet transfer window. Teenage midfielder Charlie Crew has joined League Two promotion hopefuls Doncaster Rovers on loan and Joe Gelhardt is set to link up with Hull City for the rest of the season. Daniel Farke has said it would be difficult to improve his squad but they will continue to monitor the market for opportunities to add quality.