Transfer Speculation
As per one of the latest reports by Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United are desirous to land Barnsley’s versatile fullback, Andy Yiadom. Yiadom has been one of the most efficient players for the Tykes this season. Although Jose Morais’ side are fighting the relegation battle, he has managed to thrive and make his presence felt and has thus fallen on the radar of Paul Heckingbottom.
Fact File
Yiadom was developed by the youth academy of Watford but he started his professional career with Hayes & Yeading United. After a season with them, he moved to the ranks of Braintree Town before signing on the dotted line to ply his trade for Barnet. It was during his time with the League Two outfit that he managed to attract a lot of attention and was eventually signed by Barnsley in the summer of 2016.
Attributes
The Ghana international is a versatile fullback who can operate from the left-back as well as from the right-back. Defensively, he is very resilient and sound with the shrewd technical understanding of the back but he has been criticized at times for his lack of offensive endeavours. However, he does have the knack to jot down crosses and has raw pace to showcase.
Barnsley’s back line has been terrible this season but Yiadom has begged to differ. More often than not, he has read the attacking endeavours of the opposition brilliantly. Although there is still a lot of scope for polishing himself further, he has shown that he has the drive and hunger in his belly to play for a better side.
Season So Far
The 26-year-old has made 25 appearances so far this season in the Championship and has managed to notch up 3 assists to his name. Besides, he has made 2 tackles, 1 interception, 3.3 clearances and 0.6 blocks per game on an average. His pass completion rate has been questionable as he has managed to hit a success rate of merely 69.2% and certainly needs to work on the precision of his passes.
Why Leeds United Need Him?
Laurens De Bock has hardly met the expectations that were rested on his shoulders whereas Gaetano Berardi has been hot and cold. Heckingbottom is seemingly likely to sign someone who is acclimatized with English football and can upgrade the quality of his defence. Yiadom should be able to cater to the needs of the Yorkshire based outfit and thus, it would make a lot of sense if the Barnsley defender is brought to the Elland Road.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
