Leeds United hijacking potential Cardiff City, Luton Town move makes perfect sense, here's why: View | OneFootball

Leeds United are set to do battle with Cardiff City over the signing of Luton Town's Ryan Giles, but a move to Elland Road perhaps makes more sense despite Giles' previous spell with the Bluebirds.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Cardiff's recruitment team are extremely keen to land the signature of Ryan Giles on a loan deal from Luton Town, even though he joined the Hatters permanently only six months ago.

Giles became their club-record signing upon promotion to the Premier League for the first time ever over the summer when securing a £5 million move from Wolves, which came off the back of a productive loan stint with Middlesbrough in the Championship during the 2022/23 campaign where he notched 11 league assists.

However, the 23-year-old has not always started for Luton under Rob Edwards so far this season, with just five of his 11 outings coming from the very start of a match, with Alfie Doughty the preferred player in the left wing-back area of the pitch.

Edwards is keen to keep hold of Giles for his squad depth, according to TEAMtalk's report, but Cardiff - and other unnamed Championship sides - remain keen on offering him a way out of the Bedfordshire outfit, and such a move would represent a return to familiar surroundings if it occurred.

Ryan Giles' career so far

Despite being just 23, Giles has already played for nine clubs, with most coming out on loan from Wolves to the likes of AFC Telford and Shrewsbury Town at the start of his career as a professional.

He has plenty of Championship experience, too, having split his time in the 2020/21 campaign on loan at both Coventry City and Rotherham United. Giles was then sent to Cardiff by Wolves in the summer of 2021, where he really became known for being an assist machine with his wand of a left foot.

Giles mainly featured as a winger on the left flank for the first few months under Mick McCarthy, but when he was replaced by Steve Morison in the City dugout, his role changed to more of a wing-back.

And despite his nine assists in 21 matches, Cardiff lost Giles after just half a season due to Wolves recalling him for squad depth, but, just a few weeks later, he found himself moving to another Championship side in the form of Blackburn Rovers, where he didn't achieve the same level of personal success that he did in Wales due to mainly playing as an inverted winger on the right flank.

Giles has since been back to his best as either a left wing-back or left-back, and his stint with Middlesbrough saw him do some of both, and he was crucial for Michael Carrick's side in their rise up the table and into the play-off picture.

He earned his Premier League move - this time permanently - albeit Giles has not been frequently featuring, hence the potential of a move away.

Ryan Giles should choose Leeds over Cardiff

Leeds are lighter in the full-back area this month, with Luke Ayling penning an emotional exit to Middlesbrough to signal the end of a seven-and-a-half-year spell, and with Djed Spence returning to Spurs from his loan.

It's left Daniel Farke needing reinforcements in the wide areas, and plenty of full-backs have already been linked with a move to West Yorkshire, including Giles. Adam Pope of the BBC first mentioned that the Luton left-back was a target for Leeds this month, but that interest has grown further recently.

He was also name-checked by Phil Hay in a piece for The Athletic, whilst Football Insider have since claimed that the Whites have enquired about taking Giles on loan for the rest of the season. He is on their list of targets after stepping up plans to construct a new-look back line.

He’s an ideal candidate due to issues with the likes of Junior Firpo, who could be a great option to have when he is fit; three assists in two games against Birmingham and Cardiff have seen the former Spain youth international come back into the fold, but it’s whether he can keep up this form and level of fitness heading into the business end of the season.

Elsewhere, Sam Byram has featured in the left-back slot in his absence, but as a natural right-back and with Spence and Ayling departing, the Leeds academy product is more than likely going to be needed down that flank and the need for a left-back is now greater than ever.

Farke tends to set his team up with one more conservative and defensive-minded full-back, and one more aggressive attacking full-back, with Giles perhaps earmarked as the player to add a new dynamic to Leeds and increase their final third creativity.

With Dan James operating as the touchline winger for the most part on the right - operating high and wide, it perhaps makes sense to have the same in Leeds' left-back slot, and Giles' chance creation would be of huge benefit to the side and would give Crysencio Summerville more freedom to roam in field as well.

The right-back (Archie Gray) has been the inverted player, with Byram and Firpo getting further forward to support the attack, allowing Summerville to express himself by inverting on the opposite flank. Giles has the energy and speed to dominate the left and allow the Dutchman to strut his stuff in more central spaces.

With Firpo too frequently injured, Leeds are currently relying on the right-footed Byram at left-back. The 30-year-old has also had issues with fitness over the last few years, too, meaning Leeds could be in crisis if the left-back position is not addressed. Giles would also create better passing angles by playing on the left off his left-foot.

Of course, the familiarity of a move to Cardiff has merit, but Giles could play as an attacking full-back in one of the most exciting attacking teams in the league, and Leeds ought to step up their interest and win the race for his signature ahead of the Bluebirds this month.