Leeds United return to Championship action today as they prepare to welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Elland Road after their FA Cup match last weekend.
Harrogate Town visited West Yorkshire for the third round clash and Daniel Farke’s side needed a second-half header from Largie Ramazani to secure progress through to the fourth round in that tie.
The Whites will now be focused on the league and ensuring that they return to the top of the Championship table by securing all three points this afternoon in the early kick-off.
Leeds, as you can see in the highlights above, dropped two points in their last outing in the second tier, conceding two goals late on to throw a two-goal lead away against Hull.
The January transfer window has been open for business for over two weeks and Farke could look to dip into the market to bolster his squad, to ensure that they do not have many more slip-ups in the race for automatic promotion in the second half of the season.
One player who has been linked with a January switch to link up with the German head coach at Elland Road is Emiliano Buendia, who worked with him at Norwich City.
The latest on Emi Buendia to Leeds United
Speaking on The View podcast on Thursday, as relayed by LeedsUnitedNews, journalist Ben Jacobs revealed that the Whites will need to be creative to secure a deal to bring the Argentina international to West Yorkshire before the end of the window.
The journalist has ruled out an immediate permanent move to join Leeds this month, but revealed that there could be a deal to be done as part of a loan with an obligation in the summer.
Jacobs was quoted as saying: “Villa are open to a permanent sale but that’s not for Leeds right now.
“Or, more-likely, a loan with an option or obligation. A loan with an option would be Leeds paying 100% of the wages, not something Leeds want to do. An obligation, they may be more flexible with the wages.”
Villa reportedly paid a fee of up to £38m to sign the Argentine whiz from Norwich in the summer of 2021 and Jacobs does not believe that the Whites would be willing to pay the kind of money they would want to recoup from that this month.
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However, it appears as though there could be an opening for Leeds to get a deal over the line for Buendia if they can reach an agreement with Villa over a loan, with some of his wages covered for this season, which includes an obligation for the move to become permanent if they are promoted this year.
Signing the Villans ace, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out wide on the right, could put a few of the current squad on their toes, including Brenden Aaronson.
Brenden Aaronson's form this season
The USA international returned to Elland Road in the summer after his spell out on loan with Union Berlin last season and came back with the ambition of turning his career at the club around, having been relegated from the Premier League in his first campaign in England.
It has not been a perfect season for the 24-year-old attacking midfield, so far, but he has done more than enough to show that he can be a valuable member of the squad, certainly at Championship level.
Starts
24
xG
7.55
Goals
7
Big chances created
6
Assists
2
Key passes per game
1.5
As you can see in the table above, Aaronson has contributed with 13 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 24 starts in the second tier, although he has slightly underperformed against his xG.
The American midfielder has been unfortunate to only register two assists in those 24 starts, as his teammates have not made the most of the six ‘big chances’ that he has created for them this term.
Despite his relatively strong form in the Championship since his return to the club in the summer, Farke and Leeds could land a huge upgrade on Aaronson by sealing a creative deal to sign Buendia this month.
Why Buendia would be a big Aaronson upgrade
The 28-year-old star missed 56 matches last season due to an ACL injury and has racked up three goals in 18 matches in all competitions for Villa’s first-team and U21 side combined this term.
Buendia, who was once hailed as “magical” by analyst Liam Henshaw, had managed nine goals and eight assists in the Premier League in his first two seasons with Villa prior to that lengthy injury absence.
Before his move to Villa Park in 2021, the Argentine sensation thrived under Leeds boss Daniel Farke during their time together at Carrow Road, winning two Championship titles under the German boss.
In the 2018/19 campaign, Buendia scored eight goals and provided 12 assists in 35 starts as the Canaries won the division and earned promotion to the Premier League.
Norwich were then relegated straight back down to the Championship and the right-footed playmaker stepped his game up another level to be the main man for the Yellows.
Appearances
39
Goals
15
Big chances created
18
Key passes per game
3.1
Assists
16
As you can see in the table above, Buendia enjoyed an extraordinary year in the second tier that term with 33 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 39 appearances for Norwich.
These statistics illustrate the kind of quality he could provide in the final third for Leeds at this level, especially given that he would be working under the same manager who got the best out of him in the past.
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Buendia has the ability to come in as a huge upgrade on Aaronson by offering more quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, given that his form from the 2020/21 campaign saw him score and create far more frequently than the American ace has this season.
If they brought him in with an obligation to sign him permanently upon promotion, they would also be signing a player who has showcased quality at Premier League level, prior to his injury, whilst Aaronson was ranked the lowest-rated player in the Premier League by Sofascore in the 2022/23 campaign.