Leeds United have been linked with a move for Brentford captain Romaine Sawyers. However, the Mirror’s journalist David Anderson recently revealed that the Whites are not in the picture to sign him. He provided this update on his Twitter account.
I understand reports linking Leeds with Brentford midfielder Romaine Sawyers are wide of the mark. #lufc
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) July 23, 2019
This should come as a bummer to the Whites faithful as he was supposedly available for a reported £3m. Sawyers looked like a bargain for that amount. West Bromwich Albion are said to be firmly interested in him, and we feel that they seem likely to get their man. Leeds United should look to strengthen their squad, but it’s becoming more and more likely that the club wouldn’t sign anyone during the rest of the window. Not too long ago, Victor Orta had claimed that they are done with 90% of their signings.
Why should Leeds United go after someone like Sawyers?
Sawyers is an effective and versatile midfielder who can play as a no. 10. The Whites lost the services of Samuel Saiz in January, and the club didn’t replace him with anyone. Even in central midfield, the club relied heavily on Mateusz Klich who started every game in the Championship last season. Sawyers can play as an attacking midfielder alongside Klich, and he can be a backup to Klich when the Polish midfielder needs a bit of a breather. Let us also not forget Roofe (who occasionally played as the attacking midfielder in the closing stages of the season) is out with an injury.
Sawyers is currently the captain of Brentford, and he is a productive player on the ball. The Saint Kitts and Nevis international can open up defences with his final ball, and he can link up play well. One of the reasons why we feel the Whites are not going after him is his work rate, which can be questionable on occasions.
What now for Leeds United?
It seems clear that the club will look to rely heavily on the likes of Mateusz Bogusz and Jamie Shackleton to provide cover in midfield. However, we think that a team vying to move to the Premier League should have more experienced and proven options at their disposal.
The Whites should look to make two more signings in this window, and a defender and a striker should be on their agenda. However, the way things are, the club is likely to continue with the options they currently have as not too long ago, even Phil Hay updated that the club is unlikely to sign a defender. Lack of signings at this point of the season could come back to bite the club especially if the squad is hit with injuries in the future.
