Noah Okafor’s first-touch goal two minutes after coming on gave Leeds United a 1-0 win over Tottenham at Elland Road, ending a five-game Premier League run without a win. The result lifted Daniel Farke’s side to ninth, with 14 points from 10 games. The mood was dampened, however, by Gabriel Gudmundsson’s hamstring injury at half-time, which forced him off and brought on Melvin Bard.
Farke will hope his first-choice left-back is fit again after the international break, in time for the trip to Chelsea on November 21. That is far from certain. It is the Swede’s third hamstring problem since April. The first kept him out for the last four league games of last season, and the second disrupted the start of this campaign. Farke’s 3-5-2 system asks a left wing-back to race up the touchline and then get back into position, which puts real strain on a player with a fragile muscle record.
Bard’s arrival and the search for cover
Bard, 26, joined from Nice on deadline day on a season-long loan, reportedly for a fee of €1m, with an option to buy at €5m (about £4.3m). Before his arrival, Leeds had only seven senior defenders for five positions. His ability to play at left-back or on the left of a back three eased that shortage. Leeds may struggle to spend heavily in January, so any new signing will need a clear role.
Porto’s Sanusi on the radar
The player linked with Leeds is Porto’s Zaidu Sanusi, 29. According to Sport Witness, his close associate Aliyu Ibrahim told Footy-Africa that Leeds have shown serious interest in the left-back for the winter window, seeing him as a permanent successor to Bard. Sanusi’s contract runs out in June, and from January overseas clubs can agree pre-contracts, which leaves Porto needing to decide between renewing his deal or selling him.
Ibrahim says the Nigeria international would like to stay in Portugal, where he has spent almost a decade, although that depends on what Porto offer. Clubs in Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also made approaches. Porto coach Francesco Farioli has said only that the club will wait and see what happens in January.
Is he worth the money?
There is a case for Sanusi. He has pace, sound one-on-one defending and 44 European appearances to his name. Reports put a January fee at between €2m and €3m, roughly £1.7m to £2.6m. The drawbacks are his 76 per cent passing accuracy in the Champions League, which is a concern for a wing-back who must help build attacks, and his five league starts this season. A cruciate injury also cost him most of two seasons.
The more sensible route for Leeds may be to sign him as depth rather than as Bard’s direct replacement, since Bard can also cover left centre-back. A pre-contract would bring Sanusi in for free in July, so paying a fee in January would buy only six months of cover. On that reasoning, the only real argument for spending now is Gudmundsson’s hamstring.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
