Leeds United have around two weeks left to go before the summer transfer window officially slams shut and their squad is set until the start of next year.
Daniel Farke has added Joe Rodon, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Bogle, and Alex Cairns to his group so far, with all bar Cairns featuring in the 3-3 draw with Portsmouth on the opening day of the Championship season.
The Whites have yet to replace the division's reigning Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville, who left to sign for Premier League side West Ham United earlier this month.
Starts
41
Goals
19
Conversion rate
15%
Assists
9
Dribbles completed per game
2.3
As you can see in the table above, the Dutch star was a key player for Leeds in the second tier due to his ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch.
The West Yorkshire outfit have been linked with an interest in Norwich City speedster Jonathan Rowe as a potential replacement for Summerville, but it could be a difficult deal to complete.
They reportedly face competition from Ligue 1 sides AS Monaco and Marseille, which means that they could have to turn to other options.
Who Leeds should target as a Jonathan Rowe alternative
If the 49ers and Farke cannot secure a deal for the Canaries star, the Whites must swoop to bring Sunderland sensation Jack Clarke back to Elland Road as a dream alternative.
In TEAMtalk's article on Leeds' interest in Rowe, in which they reveal that the Norfolk-based side want £15m for the England U21 international, it was stated that they have been 'tentatively linked' with a move for the Black Cats whiz.
When recently asked about whether or not a return to the Whites is possible, EFL pundit Clinton Morrison claimed that it would "make sense" for Clarke to want the transfer, due to the prospect of promotion to the top-flight.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds have a genuine interest in bringing the talented forward back to Yorkshire before the end of the summer transfer window.
The Sun reported earlier this summer that it could take a huge fee of £18m to secure his services, amid interest from Southampton – who beat Farke's side in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
It would be a significant investment from Leeds if they decided to go in for him at that price, or a similar fee, but it could be a signing that does more for their chances of promotion than signing Rowe.
Jonathan Rowe's Championship form
The 21-year-old wizard enjoyed his breakthrough season at senior level with the Canaries in the 2023/24 campaign, as he emerged as a key player in their play-off chase.
Rowe had only made 16 league appearances for Norwich, with 13 of those coming in the Premier League in the 2021/22 season, prior to last term, as injuries kept him out for the majority of the 2022/23 campaign.
He finally nailed down a regular place in the first-team under David Wagner and helped the Yellows to land a place in the play-offs, where they then lost to Leeds in the semi-final.
Appearances
32
xG
5.36
Goals
12
Big chances created
1
Assists
2
Key passes per game
0.8
As you can see in the table above, Rowe provided his team with great quality as a goalscorer but struggled to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis.
A return of 12 goals from 5.36 xG, which ranked him within the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.53), speaks to his impressive finishing ability, as he rarely passed up an opportunity to find the back of the net.
Whereas, Rowe also ranked within the bottom 12% of his positional peers for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.08), which shows that he was one of the worst wingers in the league at creating high-quality chances.
This suggests that he is a slightly one-dimensional forward in the sense that he offers a huge goalscoring threat but is not a creator. In contrast, Summerville provided quality as a scorer and a creator of goals in the Championship.
What Jack Clarke could bring back to Leeds
Farke should swoop to sign Clarke as a dream alternative to the Norwich youngster because he is a proven performer in the second tier who could offer more at the top end of the pitch.
The former Whites forward did not make a huge impact during his short time in the first-team – as shown above – at Elland Road, as it was at the very start of his senior career, but has since gone on to become a star for Sunderland.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the right-footed wizard produced nine goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances in the Championship for the Black Cats as they reached the play-offs.
The 23-year-old wizard followed that up with a sublime season last term for Sunderland, as he showed off his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Appearances
40
32
Goals
15
12
Key passes per game
2.4
0.8
Big chances created
12
1
Assists
4
2
Dribbles completed per game
3.7
1.1
As you can see in the table above, Clarke offers a similar goal threat to Rowe, as he scored three more goals in eight more appearances in the Championship.
However, the Sunderland man would be a significant upgrade on the Norwich star as a creative threat, with 11 more 'big chances' created and 1.6 more key passes per game on average, whilst his dribbling stats highlight his quality in transition.
Clarke's return of 306 progressive carries was described as "insane" by analyst Ben Mattinson, who hailed the impressive attacker as a ball-carrying "monster", and this shows that he can drive Leeds up the pitch when needed.
Imagine him & Joseph: Leeds set to bid for "impressive" star
The Whites are reportedly pursuing a swoop to sign the Championship starlet.
ByDan EmeryAug 13, 2024
Overall, the £18m-rated star appears to be a dream alternative to Rowe due to his ability as both a scorer and a creator of goals, and it would be a fantastic story to see him return to Elland Road to fire the team to promotion.
