Leeds are in a good position to sign the “quick” EFL star who would be Joseph's dream

Leeds United have suffered many blows on and off the pitch in recent weeks and months which have made life difficult for Daniel Farke.

First, the results on the field did not go as the Whites failed to win their first three games, losing to Middlesbrough 3-0 in the League Cup and drawing with Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion in the Championship.

Meanwhile, off the field, the West Yorkshire outfit have had to contend with a number of players leaving Elland Road in pursuit of top-flight opportunities.

Midfielders Archie Gray and Glen Kamara completed moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Rennes respectively, while Charlie Cresswell joined Toulouse on a permanent basis.

Leeds then lost two of their most potent attacking options as Crysencio Summerville signed for West Ham United and Georginio Rutter joined Brighton & Hove Albion.

As you can see in the table above, both players made a big impact in the final third of the second division last season to put the team in the play-offs.

Leeds must now enter the market to strengthen their attack before the end of the summer transfer window, and are reportedly eyeing a star from the EFL.

Leeds are determined to win the championship

According to HITC, the Whites are currently in a good position to sign Burnley striker Manuel Benson before next Friday's deadline.

The report says that they are one of the teams that want to sign the Angolan player who has never played for Scott Parker in the Championship so far.

It is said that Sunderland and Norwich City are also in the race to secure this left-footed star, but Leeds is ahead of them because of their willingness to cut him off permanently, while other parties would like to take him on loan. .

Benson, who joined the Clarets for £3.4m in 2022, is said to be keen on a move to Elland Road. However, there is no indication that he would be interested in signing for Sunderland or Norwich.

HITC also did not reveal how much Burnley are set to demand from Leeds to allow the attacker to leave permanently before the end of the window.

The Whites are leading the race for his services, however, and he would be a great addition to Farke's squad, while he is a dream player for Mateo Joseph to play alongside.

Why Mateo Joseph needs help

The Spanish U21 player showed great faith in the German coach at the beginning of this season, as he was number nine for Leeds.

Although Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe are both available for selection, the 20-year-old talent led the line for the club against Portsmouth and West Brom.

All 20 of his league appearances for the West Yorkshire side came as a substitute in the 2023/24 campaign, and he scored twice in the FA Cup opener.

This suggests Farke believes the academy graduate now has what it takes to be a starter as part of the Championship promotion campaign this term.

However, the youngster is yet to prove himself consistently at first-team level and that is why it is important that Leeds ensure they have goalscoring options all over the pitch to help the striker out.

There is no doubt that Joseph, who scored 19 goals in 33 appearances for the U21 team, has the potential to develop into a lethal goalscorer, based on his impressive form at youth level.

As you can see from the table above, the Spaniard hasn't enjoyed a great start to his time as Leeds' top striker.

However, the young talent has created another 'big chance' for his teammates so far and he was in the right place to miss the 'big chance', which – at least – suggests that he is getting into the right positions.

There is still a lot to come from Joseph, which is why Leeds must sign a winger who can carry a big threat to take the pressure off him.

Why Leeds should sign Manuel Benson

The 27-year-old EFL ace is currently out of action for Burnley but his form for the Clarets under Vincent Kompany in the 2022/23 campaign suggests the quality is there to make him a good signing for the Whites.

He arrived at Turf Moor in the summer of 2022 after returning with five goals and six assists in 21 starts in the Belgian Pro League for Royal Antwerp last season.

The Angolan, who was once described as “quick” by agent Patrick de Koster, showed his ability to provide quality as a goalscorer and creator in Belgium and carried that form into a second-tier debut with Burnley.

As you can see in the table above, Benson was involved in 14 goals in 33 appearances for the Clarets as they won the Championship title, despite starting 14 of those games.

He is ranked in the top 6% of attacking midfielders in the category of Expected Goals Assisted with 90 (0.25) and this suggests that the winger can create high chances for Joseph every time he plays regular football for Leeds.

Meanwhile, his 11 goal return from 14 starts equates to a non-penalty goal ratio of 0.66 from 90 – which puts him in the top 1% of his peers in the position – and this means the striker could be a dream addition as a major goalscoring threat.

His ability to score consistently can take the pressure off Joseph's shoulders, which is another reason why he is a dream for this guy.