'Prove me wrong' - YEP writers go head to head on Leeds United summer transfer debate

JD: “He's a Danish International. Yes, he didn't have the best command of the ball in the Premier League, which I know will be your your first point of contention. I believe that Rasmus Kristensen could have a Junior Firpo-esque remontada, because he is a player who has good attacking potential and good attacking fundamentals, which because of the team that he played in, whilst he was at Leeds, it didn't really facilitate the demonstration of those talents.

“I think with Leeds' likely position at the top of the Championship table next season or near the top, I think that it will be similar [to his time at Red Bull Salzburg] in terms of there will be plenty of games in which Leeds are camped in the opposition half where they are pretty much on the edge of the opposition box. I think there'll also be games in which Leeds can hit teams on the break in transition.

“For anybody who watched Rasmus Kristensen before he signed for Leeds, he was very, very good with those first-time low crosses into the box. And strikers getting on the end of those or getting to the byline cutting back. He does have that ability going forward. Yes, I agree. his defending was not always the best, not always good. But I think that in the Championship, you can mitigate for that.”

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GS: “Rasmus Kristensen was signed for Jesse Marsch to play mile-a-minute football. Would anyone have better physically embodied that style of football then Kristensen? A heavy metal right-back, up and down, up and down, fast, fast, fast. Daniel Farke plays a controlling, patient style of football. He wants his attacks to be prepared, that's the word he uses. He doesn't want it to be mile-a-minute, he doesn't want it to be smashmouth, rock 'em sock 'em robots football and he doesn't want a right-back going up and down, up and down.

“I don't know that Rasmus Kristensen has the technical proficiency or the guile or the passing ability to play a more considered, patient, controlling style of football. I don't know that he would protect the ball well enough. I don't know that, if there's a pass to be made from halfway into a number 10 who is 20 yards away or more, he can make that pass with ease. His passing in the Premier League was a problem. We noticed it in Brisbane in pre-season, that his passing looked problematic, but with it being pre-season, with a new team and settling in, you give the benefit of the doubt. He has a way about him that lends itself to cheers from the crowd. He'll make a big tackle then celebrate it.

“Celebrating tackles is not quite the standard Leeds want or need for this season. There's a danger of falling into the 'could do a job in the Championship' trap because is that going to get you automatic promotion or get you into the play-offs again? Is it going to let you dominate the league and do it the way Leeds really need to do it by being far too good, or is it going to risk sinking to Championship levels in certain games against tricky opponents who sit in? That's all without mentioning the defending, which he did struggle with in the Premier League.

“If Leeds played a million miles per hour I could see it, but they don't.

“Then there's last summer. For whatever reason Kristensen was one that Leeds felt might stay and it came as a bit of a surprise and a disappointment when he went off to Rome. Maybe one returnee is okay and you can make a case for Brenden Aaronson, but do you want to build a team that is going to come under great scrutiny and heavy pressure, wearing the heaviest shirt in the division, around people who ran away? It's more nuanced than that and a long time has passed. There are a lot of people who will celebrate Aaronson's goals, if he scores them, and move on. It's harder to see that being the case with Kristensen because his role is different and he doesn't have what Junior Firpo has, the same level of guile and craft.

2We also have to consider is how willing he would be. He just played in Serie A, they might not have had him as part of their Europa League campaign but he played in a top league. And is he willing to take the hit financially, as Aaronson appears to be? I wouldn't be. Maybe he comes back, he's a goal threat from set-pieces and he plays well enough to be in the Championship Team of the Season but I just don't see it. Prove me wrong.”

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