Farke could find his next McLean in Leeds swoop for “special” £7m star.
Leeds United still have plenty of football to play before the end of the season in their pursuit of automatic promotion to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
The Whites failed to finish in the top two in the 2023/24 season, finishing third and losing 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
Daniel Farke’s team is expected to finish first or second in the Championship this year, avoiding a recurrence of their previous failure.
A 4-0 victory over Oxford United at Elland Road on Saturday keeps them second in the table, three points behind Sheffield United, heading into Christmas Day.
The January transfer window, however, is just around the corner, and the Whites could aim to improve their prospects of automatic promotion by plunging into the market to increase their alternatives throughout the field.
Central midfield is one area of the pitch that might be addressed, and Farke has previously expressed interest in Norwich City’s Kenny McLean for that position at Elland Road.
Leeds United’s bid to sign Kenny McLean
In the summer of 2023, shortly after the German arrived in West Yorkshire, Leeds were interested in signing the Scotland international from the Canaries.
Norwich rejected a £4 million deal for the former Aberdeen star, who eventually agreed to a new contract at Carrow Road.
Farke trusted McLean, who played 114 games for him in two championship-winning seasons (2018/19 and 2020/21).
The Whites would have signed an experienced midfielder who understands what it takes to be automatically promoted from the second tier, having done it twice with the Leeds manager in Norfolk.
After the West Yorkshire club failed to complete a deal for McLean, the Scotland international went on to play a significant role in Norwich’s play-off semi-final against Leeds.
| 23/24 Championship | Kenny McLean |
|---|---|
| Starts | 46 |
| Big chances created | 7 |
| Pass accuracy | 84% |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 3.2 |
| Duel success rate | 59% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As shown in the table above, the 32-year-old great started all 46 league matches and excelled as a box-to-box midfielder, contributing at both ends of the pitch.
McLean is a dynamic midfielder who can create quality in possession through his imaginative passing, as well as hold his own defensively, winning the majority of his physical confrontations in the Championship.
Instead of re-signing the seasoned ace, Farke might find his new McLean in the January transfer window by swooping on one of the club’s reported targets.
Leeds United are interested in an English midfielder.
In November, The Sun reported that Leeds were interested in signing Nottingham Forest central midfielder Lewis O’Brien, who is presently on loan with LAFC in the MLS.
According to the source, LAFC has the option to make the trade permanent for £7 million when the January transfer market opens, but there are other English teams interested in signing him.
According to the report, Leeds and Hull City have both inquired about a possible move for the former Huddersfield Town star, who is settled in America and wants to stay there permanently.
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