Leeds United missed out on signing an out-and-out Georginio Rutter replacement in the summer window, and an interesting solution could be in the Wales squad alongside Ethan Ampadu and co.
Daniel Farke made it very clear throughout the opening weeks of the transfer window that he would like an attacking midfielder signed, off the back of losing Georginio Rutter as well.
The Frenchman himself is a very difficult player to replace not only for the quality he possesses, but the variety of the skillset he has too with his dribbling, speed, and both-footedness.
Leeds failed to land attacking midfield signing despite having funds to do so
Around £143.7million was made through player sales confirmed in 2024, and the club definitely had the money to make one final addition to the side in the back end of August.
An attacking midfielder was the missing piece of the puzzle, as Leeds saw strong links to Roland Sallai and a £13million bid for Gustavo Hamer turned down.
It leaves the club needing that void to be filled by existing members of the squad, but with proof that the money is there to be spent.
Any attempts will have to wait until January now, knowing that the club won’t dip into the free agent market between now and the new year.
Will Leeds get promoted this season?
Leeds should keep an eye on Cardiff City and Wales midfielder Rubin Colwill this week
Leeds’ ambition might take them abroad or to the Premier League if they want to sign someone in January, but there is a player who could add to Farke’s attacking midfield setup with a very unique profile in Wales international Rubin Colwill.
Outside of boosting Farke’s admiration for anyone Welsh, Colwill represents something that Leeds don’t really have in their current midfield setup.
At 6ft2in, Colwill would be a huge boost to Leeds’ very short attacking group, while also possessing technical quality rarely seen for people of that frame.
Registering 2.47 take-ons per 90 in Cardiff colours, he ranks very highly amongst other attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe, but also demonstrates a strong range of passing from short to long distances.
He boasts very quick feet on either side but also has the strength to carry the ball under pressure in midfield, akin to Rutter in a Leeds shirt.
Against possession, Colwill’s defensive contribution is also worth noting, in the 99th and 97th percentile respectively for middle-third and final-third tackles, as well as being in the 96th percentile for ‘tackles plus interceptions’ – underlining his capabilities to operate in a high counter-press such as Farke’s.
On top of all of this is his eye-catching ability to strike a ball incredibly well, as shown through this goal in August v Southampton in the EFL Cup:
All of this comes alongside the fact that Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut is seemingly unconvinced by the towering midfielder, seeing him start just once in four league games this season and managing only 14 starts term too.
Despite being contracted to Cardiff until 2027, Leeds could keep a close watch on Colwill’s lack of starting opportunities in South Wales with a view to resolving their need for a physically robust attacking midfielder with an eye for goal.
He’s by no means the Pablo Hernandez type of attacking midfielder that everyone is crying out for, but his attributes would slot seamlessly into how Leeds currently play.
Colwill and Wales play tonight against Turkey, with Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon and Charlie Crew all hoping to feature.
Leave a Reply