Since injuries have already severely damaged a number of Leeds United’s thin squad members during the first half of the 2024–25 season, the team may require reinforcements in January to win the Championship.

Max Wöber and Brenden Aaronson were among the eight new players Leeds added to their roster in the summer. Daniel Farke has so assembled a first-team roster of roughly twenty-three players for their most recent promotion campaign.

Having nearly lost out on the Premier League back in May, they are seeking to go one better than last season under the German and earn their spot back in the top-flight, and have undoubtedly added talent and experience to their team.

It looked like a group of guys who would be one of the favourites to go up automatically unless an injury problem developed. But that has become their reality, as they are currently experiencing one in some areas of the team; at the moment, the club is experiencing issues in central midfield, centre back, and out wide.

While many of the key components of Farke’s team for this season are already starting to emerge, their season is already in jeopardy due to injuries, and they are currently concerned about several sections of the squad that are severely depleted.

Over the next few months, it will become more evident where each player is in the hierarchy and what issues Farke is still having. Leeds’ sole remaining option until January is to scout the free agency market in an attempt to bolster their depth and experience.

For the Whites, who need every player they can get right now, January might be a season-defining month if they decide to take more time to evaluate the roster. Football is a dynamic sport, as evidenced by recent events, but here we examine a reasonable ideal window for Leeds.

Note: Due to the lack of choices, this article will mostly concentrate on new players, while Leeds and Farke may currently need every member of the first team in one way or another.

James McAtee

After the transfer window ended, Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear disclosed that the team had made aggressive moves to sign James McAtee from Manchester City and Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool. Pep Guardiola decided to hold onto the former player, while McAtee signed a £27 million contract to join Brentford. It left Leeds without a genuine playmaker, even if they had the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Joel Piroe, Willy Gnonto, and co. who could operate centrally.

James McAtee, a young player from Manchester City, has spent the last two years on loan at Sheffield United. He started out with the Blades in the Championship, where they saw the best of him during the second half of their campaign to win promotion, showcasing his potential for the Premier League. Out of 37 Championship games that season, McAtee’s attacking midfield contributions totalled twelve goals, but most of those came in the second half in which nine of those came after gameweek 24.

The 21-year-old then got the chance to continue that form into the previous campaign, and in an otherwise incredibly poor Premier League season, he was one of Sheffield United’s bright spots. Even though City decided to keep him, he is far lower on the team’s hierarchy, which isn’t helping him much in terms of playing often in senior games.

Rearranging Farke’s attacking options would be greatly aided by a player who could play as an attacking or central midfielder. In the last third, his inventiveness, goal-scoring ability, and link-up play might make all the difference for Leeds. It may be contingent on how much game time he gets in the next three months, but Leeds would be a good destination

In addition to offering Leeds and Farke a different kind of midfield profile, his quality may be a major differentiator. Leeds may not always find the solutions to break down teams seated deep and compact in a low block, but his ingenuity as a more natural playmaker would be of immeasurable help.

Tyler Morton

Tyler Morton of Liverpool could be a great option for Leeds, who are particularly lacking in midfield options due to injuries sustained this week by Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev. With the other midfield issues seriously endangering Leeds’ chances of success and ultimately promotion this season, it is currently asking a lot of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell to stay fit.

Given that they are already very stretched and cannot afford any more injuries, Leeds’ midfield base is sure to be a talking point in the upcoming weeks and months. Any further issues are likely to see their ambitions of automatic promotion disrupted due to a lack of depth and options available. Leeds could consider other possibilities if it takes some time for Ampadu or Gruev to get up to speed in terms of conditioning and match fitness.

One of them might be Morton, a young player from Liverpool who spent the past two seasons pursuing his career in the Championship. At the age of 21, Morton has already made 79 appearances in the second division. Like McAtee, though, his path appears to be barred at Anfield, therefore a move to West Yorkshire, if only temporarily, could

His growth is being hampered by his sparse appearances, as he needs regular first-team action. With his confident style of play and his willingness to assume a lot of responsibility at such a young age, he is the perfect type of midfield player for this Leeds squad.

Always searching for the ball, Morton is a midfield player who is frequently seen dropping deep to receive it from his central defenders and then moving through the midfield lines. While he is at ease with the ball in his hands, he is also a deep-lying playmaker who can generate openings for attack with the ball at his feet. He would be a great fit for a ball-dominant Leeds club.