Aston Villa star should be top of Leeds United's three-man transfer shortlist | OneFootball

FLW have outlined three ideal signings that the Whites should look to make in January

Leeds United have enjoyed a successful charge at the automatic promotion places this season, but will want to make some slight tweaks to their playing squad in the January window to give them the best chance of returning to the Premier League in May.

Daniel Farke's side lost some of their key players in the summer window, such as Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter and Archie Gray, yet have been able to sustain a promotion challenge this season with the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Ao Tanaka and Pascal Struijk all playing key roles.

The Whites have been linked with moves for numerous new additions ahead of the new year, but while they boast one of the strongest starting XI's and squads in the second-tier, boss Farke has admitted that the club "don’t expect a busy January."

While that may be so, any potential outgoings or injuries will dictate the moves that Leeds do make next month, and it certainly seems likely that some out-of-favour players will be leaving Elland Road soon.

With that in mind, FLW have outlined three good signings that the Whites could make in January, in order, from the biggest priority to the least priority.

3 Carl Rushworth

Leeds' number one goalkeeper, Illan Meslier, has been highly-rated as a young shot-stopper in recent years, yet his error-prone ways have seen numerous Leeds fans call on the club to make a permanent change in-between the sticks, and cash in on the 24-year-old Frenchman in transfer windows gone by.

While it seems unlikely that he will be sold midway through a season in which Leeds are going for promotion, it does seem sensible for the club to sign a reliable backup that could push their way into the starting picture if needs be.

Carl Rushworth, who is currently out on loan at Hull City from Brighton & Hove Albion, could be the ideal signing to make, as a result of his lack of game-time with the Tigers so far this season, which has mainly been due to an ankle injury that has seen him sidelined since October.

Rushworth impressed in the Championship on loan at Swansea City last season, and was named both their Players' and Supporters' Player of the Year at the end of the season, yet it has been a tough few months for him since joining Hull, with both Ivor Pandur and Anthony Racioppi seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order now.

Provided he does not play for the Tigers upon his return to action in the new year, he would be free to leave Hull and join another club, which Leeds could take advantage of to give themselves better competition to the often unreliable Meslier.

Leeds' struggles with depth in their backline have been well-documented so far this term, so a signing like Andrew Omobamidele would be perfect to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of a busy second-half of the campaign.

Daniel Farke has had to rely heavily on the fitness of centre-backs Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk this season, and while Max Wober is a useful back-up to have, he is about as far as the depth in the heart of the Whites' defence goes to, with the likes of Ethan Ampadu filling in there at times.

Wober could potentially leave the club next month, after links away throughout the summer, and then fresh reports of a January switch to former club RB Salzburg, while the Whites have also been named as a possible destination for Nottingham Forest man Omobamidele.

The Telegraph claim that the 25-year-old, who played under Farke at Norwich City, was a previous target for Leeds during the summer window, so it makes complete sense for the club to reignite their interest as January beckons.

Omobamidele has previously shone in the second-tier with the Canaries, and has barely had a look-in at Forest so far this term, so would surely jump at the chance to join Leeds with the potential of more minutes and a Championship promotion challenge.

1 Emi Buendia

A player like Emi Buendia is definitely one in the bracket of 'too good for the Championship' right now, yet if Leeds could tempt the Argentinian attacking midfielder to drop down a division and revitalise his seemingly stagnated career, then it would be a real coup and a huge boost to their chances of top-flight football next term.

Buendia is another who has previously played some of the best football of his life under Farke at Norwich, yet his 2021 move to Aston Villa has never really worked out, and he has struggled to come back into contention under Unai Emery since an ACL injury saw him miss the whole of last season.

Villa are sure to want to bolster their own squad for their Champions League exploits in the second-half of the campaign, and so the 27-year-old may find himself surplus to requirements in the West Midlands, which is where the Whites could step in.

Buendia was a summer target for Leeds as he returned to full fitness in August, but a deal never materialised, and club CEO Angus Kinnear revealed in September that it was insinuated to him that the Argentine felt "he’d served his time at Championship level."

Given his very limited game-time so far this term, despite being fully fit, and Villa's potential plans to bolster their attack and midfield next month, Buendia could well think twice about that standing, and may even jump at the chance to rediscover his form at Leeds, where he would easily be one of the first names on the team-sheet ahead of fellow number 10 Brenden Aaronson.