Leeds United slipped from the top of the Championship table after taking just a point from their last two games. Many are starting to believe that the Whites could slip again like last season after a good start. But a case can be made that it was just their finishing that has let them down in those games. So we expect Marcelo Bielsa’s men to continue their good run in the Championship.
The likes of Samuel Saiz, Jack Harrison and Ezgjan Alioski are getting into right positions, but they are unable to provide that killer pass, in the end, to finish off games. Therefore, we believe, to solve this problem, the Whites should reconsider going in for Wigan Athletic’s Nick Powell in the January transfer window.
Bielsa’s men were linked with him in the summer after he had a fruitful season in the League One, where he helped the Latics gain promotion to the Championship. The former Manchester United player has continued his exploits even in the second tier of English football, as he has scored four and assisted four goals in nine games so far this season. What makes him stand out is his intelligence in the final third and knowing where to be to find space for himself and his team-mates.
The 24-year-old is an attacking midfielder and is at his best when he plays in the no.10 role. He impressed Sir Alex Ferguson in 2012 and moved to Manchester United as a raw talent. However, he was unable to make regular senior team appearances with the Red Devils and spent a good part of his four years at the Old Trafford on loan at various clubs. Powell ended his stay in Manchester with just nine senior appearances. But it seems like he is soon going to get a shot in the Premier League, the way he has been performing off late.
Powell has played in the role of a striker as well, and the Englishman is strong in the air. However, he is at his best when he plays in the pocket of spaces between the defence and midfield line. That is where the former England u-21 international uses his intelligence and ball-playing abilities. In the kind of football which Bielsa’s men are playing, the 24-year-old will be a perfect fit.
He is in the final year of his contract with Wigan. Therefore, a sale in January could be on the cards. Having not spent much in the summer window, United should look to get Powell if they want to continue their good run in the Championship. Certain injuries in the attacking positions have probably cost them some points off late so Bielsa should look to rectify that in January by bringing in this talented attacking midfielder to improve their options up front. Definitely a very good bet for Bielsa in January.
