Leeds could replace Kamara by signing the £40k-p/w star

Leeds United missed out on promotion to the Premier League last season as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the Championship final at Wembley in May.

The Whites attempted to return to the top flight at the first time of asking under head coach Daniel Farke but finished third in the second tier, just short of automatic promotion, before failing in the play-offs.

This means the West Yorkshire side are now preparing for a second season in the Championship and must be wary of losing their best players throughout the summer transfer window.

Youngster Archie Gray has completed a move from Elland Road to sign for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, with Joe Rodon returning to Leeds on a permanent deal coming in another direction.

The Whites are also at risk of losing some of their top players as it has recently been reported that Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto, and Georginio Rutter are 'possible'.

Alongside the names of stars who could leave Yorkshire, Leeds are reportedly on the verge of selling one of their key players from last term.

The Leeds ace will leave this month

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the club have agreed a deal with Ligue 1 side Rennes to sell defensive midfielder Glen Kamara this month.

The two clubs have reached an agreement for a fee of €10 million (£8.4m) and the Finnish international is now set to complete his exit from the side after just one year.

Leeds looked to sign the star from Glasgow Rangers last summer for a reported fee of £5m and are now willing to make a profit of more than £3m for the player who turns 29 later this year.

That seems like good business on paper for the Whites, from a financial perspective, as they are willing to cash in on an experienced ace, rather than a rising talent, which could give them money to reinvest. the group.

Farke can now replace Kamara before the end of the transfer window by speeding up the signing of reported target Oliver Skipp from Tottenham Hotspur.

GIVEMESPORT said at the beginning of July that the club wants to snatch this player who once ran in England U21 but they may struggle as Spurs do not want to get money for him, because of the domestic rating in the Premier League.

However, it is said that his relationship with Farke, who he worked with during their time together at Norwich, could help Leeds in a potential deal.

Skipp could be a good replacement for Kamara in the middle of the park for Leeds as he can offer similar qualities at Championship level.

Glen Kamara's metronomic performance for Leeds

The Finland international provided a calm and reliable presence on the ball for Farke in the second tier in his first, and likely only, season at Elland Road.

He used his athleticism and quality to dictate the pitch and pop passes to control games by dictating tempo and moving teams to find attacking teammates in dangerous areas.

Kamara ranks in the top 10% of Championship midfielders for passes attempted per 90 (65.01) and top 6% for passes attempted per 90 (6.87).

This shows that the former Rangers star, who has also provided three assists in 37 league appearances, is a very good passer as he ranks high among his peers in getting on the ball and making progress with his passes.

As you can see in the table above, Kamara also provided quality outside of Leeds' possession with his strong performances in duels both on the deck and in the air.

The 28-year-old ace used his body to win the ball back many times in each game, by attacking, blocking, and recovering, cutting off opponents.

These statistics show that he was a deep midfielder for Farke due to his good play, handling and development of the ball, and his ability in duels to compete defensively.

That's why his exit will hurt Leeds here and now, but Farke can move on from Kamara by replacing him with Skipp.

Why Leeds should sign Oliver Skipp

The Whites must push to get an agreement with Spurs to sign this player who was loaned to Norwich as he is a player who has been confirmed to have worked with the manager before.

Farke, who hailed the midfielder as “perfect” and humble, had the young star on loan at the Canaries during the 2020/21 campaign, and the English ace's performances earned him a place in the League's Team of the Season that time.

Skipp has not played more than 23 Premier League games in a single season since returning from Norwich in the summer of 2021 and Leeds could look to tempt him in the hope of regular game time under a manager who knows how to get the best out of him. he.

While playing week in and week out at Norwich in the 2020/21 campaign under Farke in the Championship, the 23-year-old's metronome performances suggest he will replace Kamara.

As you can see in the table above, both players offer very little in the final third when it comes to scoring and creating goals but are successful off the ball.

Skipp made more tackles and 1.4 blocks per game and won a higher percentage of his duels on the floor than Kamara, suggesting the potential is there for him to improve Leeds' off-ball play.

The £40k-a-week ace is also ranked in the top 28% of midfielders for passing per 90 (4.86), which shows he can develop to play in the same style as the Finnish star.

Therefore, Farke could be a great replacement for the Rennes-bound ace by signing another midfielder who can dominate opposition midfields with his play in and out of possession.