Shift in mindset sees Leeds United look to strengthen in January window

The 20-year-old’s value to their squad was almost nil but in cutting close to £10,000 a week from their wage bill, Leeds began clearing the decks for the last two weeks of the transfer window. Other fringe players are likely to follow, Mateusz Klich amongst them, amid an acceptance at Elland Road that incoming deals are imperative.

It was never United’s intention to be active in January or to focus heavily on first-team signings, but the club are down on form and numbers with the window into its final fortnight and their stance on recruitment has shifted.

Adam Forshaw, the Middlesbrough midfielder, became a prime target after Eunan O’Kane’s red card last weekend and is set to join Leeds later today. United have also embraced the idea of signing a new striker.

There is a sense of their season hanging in the balance with much to play for and promotion to lose.

Results have set Leeds back, particularly the loss of eight points in their last three Championship games, but their selection issues were laid bare by an 18-man squad at Ipswich Town on Saturday which contained every last one of Thomas Christiansen’s senior professionals.

O’Kane was sent off in the first half, incurring a three-match ban, and Pawel Cibicki left the field with an injury before half-time. Even if Christiansen had been minded to use Borthwick-Jackson, the defender’s lukewarm loan from Old Trafford was hampered further by a twisted ankle suffered last week. Leeds duly ended his stay on Tuesday night.

Borthwick-Jackson played only six times, once in the Championship, and will not be missed. Leeds have an out-and-out left-back waiting in the wings after signing Laurens De Bock for £1.5m from Club Brugge and De Bock is expected to make his debut against Millwall on Saturday, but Christiansen has taken a hit in other areas of his squad.

Samuel Saiz’s six-match ban for spitting sidelined the second-highest goalscorer in United’s squad and claimed Saiz’s creativity with it. O’Kane’s suspension means three weeks on the sidelines and while the 27-year-old will be back for a crucial Yorkshire derby at Sheffield United on February 10, Leeds are unexpectedly vulnerable in the centre of midfield.

Kalvin Phillips is a booking away from a two-match ban and Ronaldo Vieira – bothered by tendonitis in one knee this season – last played on Boxing Day.

Christiansen has been disinclined to field Klich all term and he used 20-year-old Conor Shaughnessy to alter his line-up after O’Kane’s dismissal at Ipswich, despite Klich’s presence on the bench.

The Poland international joined Leeds in a summer move from FC Twente six months ago, a deal which cost United £1.5m, but the club are listening to loan offers for him and Klich is increasingly likely to move abroad shortly.

Klich’s future prospects are slimmer again after Leeds succeeded last night in reaching a deal for Forshaw, the former Everton trainee who played for Brentford and Wigan Athletic as a youngster and has been with Middlesbrough for the past three years.

Forshaw was out of favour at The Riverside after Tony Pulis’ appointment as manager, but Leeds see him as a proven Championship player and spent yesterday in talks with Boro, wrestling with Cardiff City for his signature.

Boro valued Forshaw at £2.5m and Leeds and Cardiff are both ready to pay that sum. Forshaw, however, favoured a transfer to Elland Road and Leeds were quietly hopeful of beating Cardiff to the punch. Forshaw is set to take up a long-term contract in the next 24 hours, in time to make his debut against Millwall.

Leeds, and their owner Andrea Radrizzani, did not bank on promotion this season, but the first half of the campaign has made it possible and the sudden increase in activity at Elland Road reflects the folly of United allowing a good position to slip.

The club dropped to seventh place in the Championship last week but are within four points of Aston Villa in fourth and the upper end of the division has been tightly packed from the outset, below champions-elect Wolverhampton Wanderers.

At the end of the transfer window on January 31, Leeds will enter a pocket of seven games which is fated to define their chances. All seven of those opponents are in the Championship’s top half and five are currently inside the Championship’s top six, including leaders Wolves.

Leeds were in a position of strength in late December but the events of this month and the setbacks hampering Christiansen made the case for signing reinforcements.

Christiansen was initially coy about transfers but spoke more openly about the need for recruits last week, with Saiz’s ban for spitting at the front of his mind.

“Of course I would like more players to come but it’s very difficult, this winter market,” he said. “We have to see the different options we have. It’s not easy but of course I would like that.”