Leeds United aren’t planning on being all that active in the January transfer window if Victor Orta is to be believed.
The Spaniard recently told TuttoMercatoWeb that he expects a quiet window for the Whites, but that could all change.
Phil Hay has claimed that United will spring into action if Eddie Nketiah is recalled by Arsenal, and with recent reports making that seem like a real possibility, the Whites have already started preparing for life without Nketiah.
The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent stated in a recent Q&A session that United may look towards Merseyside for their Nketiah replacement.
A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?
It seems as if Leeds have targeted one player from Everton and another from Liverpool as Hay stated that he’s heard they’re looking at both Cenk Tosun and Rhian Brewster.
It’s tough to say which of the two forwards Leeds should look at signing, but we tasked our writers with deciding between the pair.
Matt Dawson
“Cenk Tosun would be a particularly interesting signing for Leeds but with him and Rhian Brewster, Leeds would be stepping into the unknown.
“Brewster has only ever played two senior matches in his entire career while Tosun hasn’t proven himself in English football yet and has never played in the Championship.
“Since arriving in England he’s scored just ten times in 49 outings for Everton. That being said, the Championship is a different league and you only need to look at the success players like Aleksandar Mitrovic and Dwight Gayle have had in this division when previously failing in the Premier League.
“Gayle scored 24 for West Brom last term but has failed to even start for Newcastle this season. As for Mitrovic, he’s bagged 15 in 18 games throughout 2019/20.
“Last campaign, he only found the net on 11 occasions. Given the lack of football Brewster has under his belt, I think he’d be the biggest risk. Therefore, landing Tosun would be Leeds’ best bet.”
Jonathan Radcliffe “First and foremost, it would be a shame to see Nketiah return to Arsenal. He has barely been given a chance by Marcelo Bielsa, despite him having a decent record up until now – he has five goals despite picking up just two starts. “His failure to pick up appearances indicates that the same thing would happen to Brewster if he were to move to Elland Road – he himself has featured just twice in his career, never mind this campaign. “Cenk Tosun, therefore, is the best option. This is a player with years of experience, and he was prolific with Besiktas before making the move to Goodison Park, scoring 38 goals in 71 matches in his last 18 months. “With Leeds chasing promotion at the top of the Championship, the 42-time Turkey international could be exactly what they are looking for to fire them to the promised land.” Kealan Hughes
“The worry with both players is that they have not played much this season, and the type of fitness levels they will need to reach to fit Marcelo Bielsa’s high-intensity style means it could take a bit of time for them to get up and running.
“Perhaps even worse is the fact Brewster has limited experience of senior football, but Nketiah did too and he has fit in well. Brewster’s pace and clever movement would mean he’d be an excellent like-for-like replacement for the Arsenal man, and his four goals in seven games in Premier League 2 suggests he’s in decent form.
“Tosun, however, would be an excellent alternative option to Bamford and could benefit in the side in more physical matches, but his 65% pass accuracy is a concern and may cause Bielsa to have doubts about his ability, which could mean he will be relied on as an impact sub, and Leeds need more than that.”
Charles Jones
“I think that Leeds should only be considering one option here.
“To put it simply, they’ve got a choice between an established international who once scored 20 goals in the Turkish league and a man who hasn’t played a single top-flight game in his entire life.
“Brewster may go on to do great things, but Leeds don’t have much money to spend so this would most likely be a loan deal, and over the next six months I’d back Tosun to be more effective than the Liverpool man.
“This one is a no brainer, and Leeds should be straight on the phone to Everton if Nketiah is recalled by Arsenal.”
In other news, nerves should be settled at Leeds after Graham Smyth gave an update on Ben White’s future.
