Leeds United Boss Daniel Farke Look To Liverpool To Solve January Transfer Plans

Leeds United are light in terms of midfield options following injuries this week sustained by Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, Liverpool’s Tyler Morton could and should be a target in January.

The Whites have hit a midfield crisis following long-term injuries to Ampadu and Gruev in the games against Coventry City and Norwich City this week. It is an extremely unfortunate occurrence to lose two specialist and experienced holding midfielders at the same time.

Farke has since confirmed that the knee injury that Leeds’ club captain sustained has ruled him out for around 10 weeks and that his return will be close to January. It’s a huge blow for the remainder of the games in 2024, which has only been made worse following the news of Gruev’s injury.

It has not required surgery so far, but Gruev’s meniscus issue has. Farke has since confirmed that he is expected to be out for longer than Ampadu. He revealed this following Leeds’ 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light, speaking post-match to Adam Pope of BBC Leeds.

Joe Rothwell took his place alongside Ao Tanaka against Norwich and Sunderland, which is likely to be the main duo at the base of Leeds’ midfield in the coming weeks and months. Ordinarily, both of them are box-to-box midfielders and would be paired with a player that has natural defensive tendencies.

However, they will offer plenty of control and tempo in possession in the meantime, and Tanaka has played plenty of his career as a holding midfielder in Germany and is likely to be Farke’s go-to choice for now as the more defensive-minded player in the double-pivot.

Leeds’ midfield dilemma and the possible solution for Daniel Farke

It is asking plenty of Tanaka and Rothwell to remain fit until the New Year, and potentially during the busy Christmas schedule as well. Ampadu and Gruev’s concerns seriously threaten Leeds’ chances of success, and ultimately, promotion this season.

Any further issues could see their automatic promotion hopes derailed due to a lack of depth and options available, given that they are already stretched extremely thin and cannot afford any further issues, be that during the international break or in the next few fixtures.

The current injury crisis threatens to undermine their season, and one answer could still be the free-agent market. However, should they opt against that, then there is still a strong likelihood that they will look at midfielders in the January transfer window, where they may be able to acquire a higher calibre of player.

Notoriously, the winter market has proven to be a difficult one for Leeds to sign players who have a meaningful and instantaneous impact, but there is no guarantee that Ampadu will be able to play at the consistent level he once performed at, or at least not straight away.

Should his conditioning and match fitness take time to get up to speed, Leeds should be eyeing up other options. One of which could be Morton, the Liverpool youngster that has previously strutted his stuff in the Championship for the last two seasons, with Blackburn Rovers and, most recently, Hull City.

The 21-year-old has already made 79 Championship appearances, as well as being handed his Premier League and Champions League debuts with parent side Liverpool. His short and long-term future at Anfield remains unclear, however, as the Reds’ midfield is stacked with world-class talent, and indeed, players such as Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones are all no older than 23.

His pathway seems blocked in that sense, meaning a move to West Yorkshire, at least temporarily, could suit all parties. So far, he has played just eight minutes of football in an EFL Cup tie against West Ham United; it is not good for his development to be featuring so infrequently when he requires regular first-team football.

Leeds could target Liverpool’s Tyler Morton

Having signed a long-term contract in January 2023, Liverpool clearly see a future for their young star and therefore a loan move makes sense. In many ways, he is the ideal sort of midfield player for this Leeds team, given his assured nature in possession and the amount of responsibility he is willing to have in possession at such a tender age.

A midfielder who’s always looking for the ball, Morton is often seen dropping deep to receive the ball from his central defenders, before progressing through the midfield lines. He is comfortable at carrying the ball, but in any respect, he can make things happen with the ball at his feet in order to create attacking opportunities as a deep-lying playmaker.

The England U-21 international is evidently someone that Liverpool are being patient with and willing to nurture, as they allow him to continue progressing as a footballer by constantly sourcing him senior football in the EFL. However, no loan move materialised this summer, and he is well down the pecking order for Arne Slot.

Therefore, Morton may well be destined for a January loan move, and Farke and Leeds would be an ideal fit for Morton to continue his development and learn after two seasons with Hull City and Blackburn Rovers that have been filled with promise as he looks to display his ability to the Merseyside club’s hierarchy.

He would slot in easily to a ball-dominant Leeds, and has already proven to be a player who is capable of dictating the tempo of games at the base of midfield. Whilst, defensively, he doesn’t compare to Ampadu or Gruev as a natural defensive screen, Morton’s quality is developing year-on-year, and he could be a strong addition to provide depth and quality.