Leeds United have less than two weeks to make additions to their squad before the summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday night of next week.
The Whites have added back-up goalkeeper Alex Cairns, central defender Joe Rodon, midfielder Joe Rothwell, and right-back Jayden Bogle to their squad so far.
Meanwhile, Charlie Cresswell, Glen Kamara, Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter – who is set to join Brighton for £40m – have moved on, or are about to move.
In the 2023/24 Championship campaign, Summerville produced 19 goals and nine assists and Rutter racked up six goals and 15 assists for the West Yorkshire outfit.
They made a huge impact in the final third for Leeds in their pursuit of promotion from the second tier, and the club have yet to replace that in the transfer market.
The Whites have not added a single new winger, attacking midfielder, or striker to the squad to make up for the goals and assists they have lost/are about to lose.
However, there is still time left in the window for the 49ers and Daniel Farke to pull something out of the bag and they have recently been linked with a Championship operator who could be the German's own Raphinha.
Raphinha's brilliance with Leeds
Firstly, it is worth remembering just how brilliant the Brazilian magician was for the club during his two-year spell at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.
Former sporting director Victor Orta moved to sign the young winger from Rennes ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, following the team's promotion from the Championship, and he made an instant impact in Yorkshire.
Raphinha was a constant threat at the top end of the pitch and got supporters off their seats with his exciting and direct play down the right flank, cutting in on his left foot to devastating effect.
Appearances
30
Goals
6
Big chances created
12
Key passes per game
2.1
Assists
9
Dribbles completed per game
1.9
As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star provided Bielsa's side with quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in his debut Premier League season.
The Brazil international ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.30) and assists per 90 (0.34), which shows that he was one of the best in his position when it came to creating high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
Raphinha followed that up with 11 goals, ten 'big chances' created, and three assists in 35 Premier League outings during the 2021/22 campaign, which started with Bielsa in charge and ended with Marsch in the dugout.
The now-27-year-old ranked within the top 6% of midfielders in the top-flight for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.28), and the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.20).
These statistics show that the former Leeds star was an exceptional creative threat for the club in the Premier League in his two years in England, before his move to Barcelona in 2022.
Farke could now land his own version of the Brazilian sensation by dipping into the market to sign one of the team's reported transfer targets this month.
Leeds' interest in Championship wizard
It was recently reported by Daily Express journalist Charlie Gordon that Leeds are one of a number of teams interested in signing Burnley forward Manuel Benson.
The reporter claimed that Sunderland and Norwich City, who are also set to compete for promotion in the Championship, hold a 'concrete' interest in the winger, alongside the Whites.
Gordon stated that the 27-year-old attacker wants to be playing regular games this season and a move away from Turf Moor could allow him to do that.
Benson has been an unused substitute in Burnley's first two matches of the campaign, a 4-1 win over Luton and a 5-0 thumping of Cardiff, and appears to be out of favour under Scott Parker.
This could open up the door for Leeds, or Sunderland or Norwich, to swoop in and rescue the £25k-per-week wizard from the recently relegated side before the window slams shut.
However, it remains to be seen whether Burnley would be willing to allow him to leave on a permanent basis or if they would be prepared to loan him out.
Why Leeds should sign Manuel Benson
The Whites should swoop to sign Benson because his performances for the Clarets under Vincent Kompany in their last promotion-winning campaign suggest that he has the potential to be Farke's own Championship version of Raphinha.
Like the Brazil international, the 27-year-old wizard is a left-footed winger who is typically deployed down the right flank, and looks to cut in on his favoured foot to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
However, it is worth noting that the attacker has endured a difficult 12 months or so. He only made eight appearances and one start in the Premier League last season and is yet to feature in a competitive match this term.
This means that it could take time for Benson to find his feet and form again at Leeds, if they sign him, and patience will be required. That patience could be greatly rewarded, though, if he can recapture the form he showed in the 2022/23 campaign.
Appearances
33
Starts
14
Goals
11
Key passes per game
1.1
Big chances created
4
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the Angola international produced 15 direct goal contributions in 33 Championship outings, despite only starting 14 times as Burnley won the title.
He ranked within the top 6% of attacking midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.25) but only the top 27% for assists per 90 (0.18), which suggests that his teammates let him down with their wasteful finishing.
Benson, who was described as "electric" by EFL pundit Sam Parkin, also ranked within the top 1% of his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.66).
£3m+ Leeds target now personally pushing to join Farke before the deadline
He would fill an area of need for Daniel Farke’s side.
ByBen BrowningAug 19, 2024
These statistics show that Leeds could sign a player with the potential to be one of the best wingers in the division at scoring and creating goals, which is why the left-footed right winger could be Farke's own version of Raphinha.