Leeds United must split their focus between preparing for the opening game of the 2024/25 Championship season and pursuing targets in the summer transfer window.
The Whites face off against Portsmouth at Elland Road on Saturday in their first match of the campaign, as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Using the transfer window to build a side that is capable of competing for promotion will be important and that is why the next few weeks could be crucial to their chances of a top-flight return.
Daniel Farke has already lost three of his key players from last season, as Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, and Crysencio Summerville have all completed moves away from Elland Road.
Meanwhile, Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, and Joe Rothwell have been added to the Leeds squad to bolster the manager's options across the park.
The exit of Summerville, however, will need further work from the Whites in the transfer market and they are reportedly looking to the Championship to find a replacement for him.
Leeds learn price for forward target
According to Football Insider, Leeds are in the market to add a new winger to their squad to provide the team with more firepower after they sold their Dutch whiz.
The report claims that the Whites are interested in a deal to sign Jonathan Rowe from Championship rivals Norwich City, who they beat in the play-offs last season.
It states that the Canaries, however, are looking for a sizeable fee of £15m to allow their academy graduate to move on from Carrow Road this summer.
The outlet adds that the West Yorkshire outfit have already offered £7m to sign the England U21 international – a bid that was swiftly swatted away by Johannes Hoff Thorup's side.
Norwich are looking for more than double that fee after they sold Gabriel Sara to Galatasaray for £20m, which strengthened their negotiating position when it came to Rowe.
Football Insider also claims that the Canaries are reluctant to cash in on the winger to one of their divisional rivals, as it would weaken their chances of promotion and strengthen Leeds'.
This all means that a move for the English flanker looks set to be a difficult one for the club to pull, given Norwich's stance and the £15m valuation on his head.
If they can get a deal over the line for him, though, then Farke could unleash Italian forward Wilfried Gnonto in a new role for the 2024/25 campaign.
Where Jonathan Rowe could play for Leeds
The 21-year-old attacker is a versatile talent who can play on the left or the right due to him being comfortable dribbling, passing, and shooting on either foot.
However, the majority of his appearances in the 2023/24 campaign came on the right side of the attack for Norwich, with Spanish whiz Borja Sainz deployed on the left.
In fact, his first goal for the Canaries came from him drifting inside from the right to unleash a rocket of a left-footed shot into the top corner against Hull City on the opening day, as shown in the clip above.
Playing on the right allows Rowe to either come into the middle to utilise his incredibly strong 'weak' foot or to go on the outside of defenders on his preferred right-foot to create for himself or others.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the England youth international, whose movement was hailed as "impressive" by analyst Ben Mattinson, showcased his ability to provide a big threat in the final third.
Appearances
32
Starts
25
Goals
12
Key passes
26
Assists
2
Duel success rate
52%
As you can see in the table above, Rowe is a proven Championship goalscorer who could come in and bolster Farke's options on the flanks.
The Norwich star, who scored four goals in six pre-season games this summer, could come in and play on the right side of the German's frontline, which would then open up the left side Gnonto to be unleashed in a new role this season.
Potential new role for Wilfried Gnonto
Summerville dominated the left flank for Leeds last season with 19 goals and nine assists in the Championship, which meant that other players rarely got the chance to showcase their talent in that position.
His exit has opened up a vacancy in that role and Gnonto could step up to make it his own if Rowe comes in to play on the right, instead of as a direct replacement for Summerville in the left-wing slot.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the 20-year-old talent played the majority of his games on the right but he could thrive even more on the left side for Leeds.
Appearances
36
xG
5.36
Goals
8
xA
3.81
Big chances created
5
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Gnonto is a lethal finisher who can outperform the quality of chances that are created for him, with eight goals from 5.36 xG.
But he potentially suffered from Georgino Rutter's passing angles through the middle of the park. As a predominantly left-footed player, the Frenchman often opened up on the left side of the pitch and threaded passes through to Summerville in the left channel and in central positions on that side.
This resulted in the Dutch winger ending the season with 16.41 xG in the Championship, whilst Rutter created 22 'big chances', which shows that the team consistently created high-quality opportunities for him in the left wing role.
Now, imagine Gnonto using his incredibly efficient finishing skills with the level of chance creation that he would get from playing on the left with Rutter's passing angles on his left foot.
Farke's own Klich: Leeds express interest in signing "exciting" £12m star
The Whites are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the Premier League youngster.
ByDan EmeryAug 5, 2024
The Italian dynamo could, as Summerville did, cut in on his right foot to make the most of Rutter's creativity and provide a fantastic goalscoring presence on the left flank, with Rowe then lining up on the right to form a very exciting attack for Farke in the Championship this season.
