Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is looking to follow in the footsteps of Marcelo Bielsa in the Premier League next season, as he attempts to avoid the drop.
The German boss was relegated with Norwich City in the 2019/20 campaign and sacked before he had the chance to be relegated again in the 2021/22 season with the Canaries, which means that he has yet to prove that he can keep a team in the division.
Leeds have already backed him more than Norwich did in the market, though, with a host of additions having already been made this summer, including Gabriel Gudmundsson, Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Lukas Nmecha, Anton Stach, and Sean Longstaff.
There is more work to be done in the market to improve the squad, however, after they missed out on a deal to sign Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao.
As well as chasing exciting deals like Paixao, though, Leeds should also be looking for functional players who can go under the radar whilst performing consistently, in the way that Stuart Dallas did for Bielsa.
Why Stuart Dallas was important for Marcelo Bielsa
The Northern Ireland international did not sign for Leeds when they were promoted to the Premier League, as he had already been part of the team in the Championship, but he is the kind of player the club could do with now.
Dallas was a bit of an unsung hero in the club’s first year back in the top-flight in the 2020/21 campaign, as the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha stole the headlines with their excellent performances on the pitch.
The experienced star provided great versatility for Bielsa with his ability to play in a multitude of roles across the pitch in the Premier League, whether that was at full-back, out wide, or in midfield.
Left midfield
96
Left-back
55
Right-back
46
Right midfield
33
Central midfield
24
Attacking midfield
7
Defensive midfield
1
As you can see in the table above, Dallas started 24 times or more in five different positions throughout his time at Elland Road, which shows that the manager could rely on him to fill gaps when needed.
The Northern Irish star also scored nine goals and provided two assists in his two seasons in the Premier League with the West Yorkshire outfit, which shows that he offered quality as well as versatility.
Leeds considering move for Championship star
According to LeedsUnitedNews, the club are now considering a move to sign £11m-rated Leicester City full-back James Justin, and he could be Farke’s own version of Stuart Dallas.
The report claims that Leeds United have a serious interest in the England international, who has emerged as a priority target for the Whites this summer.
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It states that the Championship champions want a full-back who can operate at left-back and right-back, and that Justin is one of the options under consideration at this moment in time.
Leeds are in the market to sign another full-back because Isaac Schmidt is said to be closing in on a season-long loan move to Werder Bremen, after just 12 months at Elland Road.
The report adds that Justin is now into the final 12 months of his contract with Leicester, which may open the door for the Whites to swoop in and secure his services before the end of the summer transfer window.
Why James Justin would be the new Stuart Dallas for Leeds
The Foxes defender may not be a glamorous signing or one that gets fans excited to watch him in action, but it could be a shrewd deal that makes a lot of sense.
Justin could arrive at Elland Road to be Farke’s own version of Dallas in the Premier League, as he has the quality and the versatility to be a very useful option for the German head coach.
The 27-year-old star has started at least 11 matches in his club career as a centre-back, a right-back, a left-back, a left midfielder, and as a right midfielder, which shows that he can be used in a multitude of ways by the boss.
He can cover both full-back positions, be utilised as a wing-back, cover at centre-back, and play on the wing when needed. This could make him almost the perfect squad signing as a player who can cover in five or six different positions when needed.
Appearances
36
Goals
2
Assists
2
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.9
Dribbled past per game
0.6x
Ground duel success rate
59%
Aerial duel success rate
55%
Justin, as you can see in the table above, is also coming off the back of a solid season of performances in the Premier League, in spite of his team’s relegation from the division.
The English ace, who was described as an “adventurous” full-back by pundit Tony Cascarino, chipped in with four direct goal contributions in a team that got relegated, which suggests that he can offer a decent threat at the top end of the pitch.
His defensive numbers were also far from dreadful. Justin held his own in duels on the deck and in the air, whilst rarely being dribbled past by opposition wingers, which suggests that he is a solid operator out of possession.
As a back-up to Jayden Bogle and Gudmundsson in the full-back positions, the versatile Leicester star could come in as a fantastic squad option and as Farke’s own Dallas, performing admirably in a clutch of different roles across the pitch when called upon in the Premier League.
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