As per one of the latest reports put forth by The Birmingham Mail, Leeds United are desperately trying to sign Middlesbrough’s midfielder, Adam Clayton, this month. However, it would not be an easy task for them to prise him out of the Riverside Stadium, as the likes of Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are also very much in the race to make him put pen to paper.
Leeds United are in an apparent need to cultivate a resurrection for themselves in order to boost their chances of promotion to the Premier League. In their last league outing, they were beaten 1-0 by Ipswich Town at the Portman Road Stadium and a major reason for the defeat could be attributed to Eunan O’Kane’s stupid offence which earned him a red card in the first-half.
The Northern Echo has reported that Middlesbrough’s new manager, Tony Pulis, is pondering over the future of Clayton and will make a decision regarding him this month. In their quest of signing the midfielder, the Whites were perceived to have sent their scouts to watch him in action for Middlesbrough’s U23 earlier this month, thus adding more fuel to the speculation.
Christiansen has some loopholes to address this month, including their midfield as well as the forward line, which are two areas which are needed to be addressed with great concern. In a situation like this, luring someone like Clayton would make complete sense for he would not only be able to bring some necessary freshness into the arsenal of the Peacocks but also help in uplifting the quality of the side.
The 29-year-old has been sporadically used by the Riversiders so far this season, having handed merely 14 appearances in the Championship. However, he has been decent, having garnered 2.3 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 0.9 clearance and 0.4 block per game on an average and once again, he has been able to hit a healthy pass completion rate of 89.4%.
Clayton has immense experience under his belt, having plied his trade for the likes of Huddersfield Town and Leeds United prior to his move to the Riverside Stadium. He reads the game well, makes shrewd tackles and interceptions more often than not and shields the backline meticulously. If this move eventually materializes, it might turn out to be a season-defining incoming for Leeds United.
