Daniel Farke and his Leeds United squad are currently preparing to travel across Yorkshire to take on Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Friday night.
The Whites are set to play their third match of the Championship season and are still looking for their first win, having started the campaign with a 3-3 draw with Portsmouth and a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion.
Whilst the West Yorkshire outfit are battling it out on the pitch to secure points in their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League, there is also plenty of work going on off the field.
Farke has lost a number of key players from his first-team squad during the summer transfer window so far, as Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter have all moved on.
Meanwhile, Leeds have swooped to sign Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, and Jayden Bogle to bolster their own squad, with Rodon signing permanently after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
The summer transfer window officially slams shut next Friday and this means that there is still a bit of time left for the club to make further additions to the group, and they have reportedly set their sights on a new midfielder.
Leeds eyeing up Premier League starlet
According to the Daily Mail print edition (21/08, page 61), as relayed by The72, Leeds are one of the teams battling it out to sign Manchester United maestro Hannibal Mejbri.
The report claims that the Whites and fellow Championship side Burnley are eyeing up a deal to bring the Tunisia international down to the Championship this month.
It does not reveal whether the West Yorkshire outfit are keen to land him on a permanent or loan basis, but does add that the Clarets are currently in pole position.
Fabrizio Romano backs up the claim that Burnley are interested in the Red Devils academy graduate and reports that they have made contact with the Premier League giants to discuss a possible deal.
The Italian reporter adds that Scott Parker's side are hoping to sign the central midfielder, who is reportedly valued at £7m, on loan with a mandatory buy clause at the end of the season.
This shows that Leeds face an uphill battle to secure his services as it appears as though the Clarets are already a way down the road in their attempt to secure his signature.
If the 49ers and Farke can beat Burnley to the signing of Hannibal before next week's deadline, though, then they could land a dream partner for Ethan Ampadu in the middle of the park.
What Ethan Ampadu brings to Leeds
The Wales international joined the club from Chelsea on a permanent deal last summer and enjoyed a terrific first season at Elland Road, thanks to his quality and versatility.
Firstly, he has the ability to play in a holding midfield role or at the heart of the defence as a centre-back, which turned out to be a valuable trait last term. Pascal Struijk's absence in the second half of the campaign meant that he was needed in defence alongside Rodon.
Despite playing in two different positions, Ampadu started all 46 of the club's regular season matches in the Championship and showcased his defensive qualities.
The 23-year-old enforcer made 2.9 tackles and interceptions combined per game. He also won 57% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial battles, which shows that he dominated opposition players on the deck and in the air in physical contests.
Liam Cooper's exit from Elland Road this summer allowed Ampadu to take on the captain's armband and Struijk's return from an injury has resulted in him being back in his favoured position in midfield.
Appearances
2
Pass accuracy
88%
Tackles + interceptions per game
4.0
Ball recoveries per game
5.0
Ground duel success rate
63%
Aerial duel success rate
75%
As you can see in the table above, the Welsh ace has enjoyed a strong start to the season in his favoured role in the middle of the park, continuing his dominance in physical duels.
However, Ampadu has created one chance in two games and only recorded one assist, with 0.8 key passes per game, in the 2023/24 campaign.
This suggests that the former Chelsea prospect needs a creative midfielder next to him in midfield to complement the defensive strength he provides.
Why Leeds should sign Hannibal
Hannibal has the potential to be a fantastic signing for Leeds because he has the passing ability to be the perfect partner for Ampadu in the middle of the park for Farke.
The 21-year-old talent endured a frustrating 2023/24 campaign, with two starts for Sevilla and Manchester United combined at league level.
However, he spent the previous season on loan with Birmingham in the Championship and proved that the quality is there for him to be an impactful player at that level.
Hannibal, who was once described as an "absolute baller" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, made 38 appearances in the second tier and caught the eye with his creativity in midfield.
Assists
0.23
Top 7%
Expected Assisted Goals
0.18
Top 10%
Shot-creating actions
3.14
Top 24%
Key passes
1.62
Top 18%
Crosses into penalty area
0.28
Top 19%
As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian starlet was one of the best players in his position in the division in a host of creative statistics, including assists and xAG.
He carried that form over from academy football after his return of 17 assists in 41 matches for Manchester United's U23 side before his first-team breakthrough.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Hannibal to arrive at Leeds as a terrific creative threat alongside Ampadu in midfield for Farke, which would make up for the Welshman's lack of creativity.
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Meanwhile, the Whites captain's physical dominance could complement the Tunisia international's struggles on that front, as he lost 56% of his duels in the Championship with Birmingham, which is why they could be a fantastic pairing in midfield.
