Buendia in, Gelhardt out: Leeds United transfers we urge the club to make before February 3rd | OneFootball

FLW look into two deals that would benefit Leeds United during the January transfer window.

Leeds United and Daniel Farke are among the favourites in the 2024/25 Championship season but they will know how crucial the upcoming January window can be in defining their campaign.

The club have plenty of ambition but will need to match that next month, with the Whites aiming to restore the club’s Premier League status after a disappointing end to last season that culminated in a play-off final defeat. Promotion to the Premier League is the priority for Leeds after finishing third in the Championship with an impressive 90 points last season.

After that saw them narrowly miss out on automatic promotion, squad overhaul was then inevitable, with high-profile departures like Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, and Archie Gray chasing Premier League opportunities. Optimism remains high despite that, with the Whites looking to go one better in 2024/25 and still maintaining a strong squad with impressive signings in the summer.

The club has recruited smartly in the past, with key players such as Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, and Willy Gnonto likely to play pivotal roles this season, while summer signings such as Largie Ramazani and Ao Tanaka have also strengthened the team significantly in crucial areas as well.

You would imagine that the eight or nine clubs realistically capable of finishing inside the Championship's top six, and especially those targeting an automatic finish, such as Leeds, Burnley, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland, will be identifying the January transfer window as a strong opportunity to source additional quality and depth.

They cannot afford to be totally inactive in the market and will know the importance of getting the January transfer window right this time around. It could be pivotal in shaping the second half of the campaign, and recruitment discussions and plans will be going on all the time behind the scenes.

Here we take a look at TWO major transfer decisions the club should make in January.

After initially joining Leeds' U-21 team from Wigan Athletic, there was plenty of excitement around Joe Gelhardt, who may have expected a larger role following the club's relegation. With limited game time last season and his position on the fringes of the first team, Gelhardt could be seeking a fresh start this January rather than continuing to linger in Leeds' reserves.

Had the club secured promotion through the Championship play-offs, his exit would likely have been accelerated. The 22-year-old was pushed out of Farke’s plans last term, and it’s understandable if he feels frustrated by his lack of opportunities. His long-term future in West Yorkshire is uncertain, as his development has stalled over the last few seasons now.

However, he still shows promise, and Leeds may consider sending him out on loan to get his career back on track, with the potential to reintegrate him into the squad for 2025/26. Alternatively, a strong loan spell could boost his transfer value if the club opts to sell.

Although Gelhardt offers versatility, as he is able to play on the right flank or as a second striker/attacking midfielder, he remains low in the pecking order due to Leeds' depth in attack. At this stage, regular football is crucial for his development, which has stagnated in recent years.

He now faces a pivotal decision in his career, especially as he struggles to secure a consistent place in matchday squads, let alone get regular minutes off the bench. Recent reports from the Yorkshire Evening Post state that Gelhardt is looking to seek an exit in the next transfer window after finding regular match minutes hard to come by once again under Farke this season.

The report adds that some of those clubs, including two in Belgium, alongside Preston North End, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, and Rangers, have retained interest in striking a loan deal for January.

There have been suggestions that a permanent move away will be hard to source. Journalist Dan Bardell believes clubs will struggle to pay the amount needed to lure him away from the Whites permanently. Speaking about the player's future in an interview with MOT Leeds News. He outlined the likelihood of a loan, which would suit all parties at this stage in Gelhardt's career and development.

A versatile attacking midfielder was on the club's priority list following Rutter's summer departure, but Leeds made Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon their main forward signings to help ease the creative burden on other players. However, it is likely to be on the agenda again in January.

Fringe players who are out of favour at Premier League sides can be a good place to look for star quality at second tier level, and Emi Buendia could be a potential game-changer with the X-factor needed in the final third. Leeds are not short of much else throughout their squad, with another creative player all that they are seriously lacking currently.

It's the one area of importance and renewing their summer interest in Buendia would be a smart move. The dynamic midfielder's previous success under Farke was on another level and he would be a guaranteed starter for Leeds given the quality he possesses, once match fit.

Post-summer window, it was revealed by Leeds CEO Angus Kinnear that their interest in Buendia was concrete but Aston Villa and the player did not want a move to the Championship. The following months have seen game time limited for the Argentine, who has earned just 34 minutes of Premier League action across six appearances.

His influence at Norwich during their Championship title win was exceptional and cannot be overstated when he was one of the Championship’s standout creative players, but opportunities are harder to come by in the top flight. The same player is still there, he just needs the regular minutes to showcase it.

His lack of action may see a change of heart, and with Leeds flying high at the top of the second tier, Buendia may see it as a more viable option to join a potential promotion party as well. He is a player who excels at finding pockets of space between the lines and in the half-spaces, making him a constant threat in forward play at this level.

His vision and ability to pick out key passes made him the creative heartbeat of the side in 2020/21. Whether it’s threading through balls for strikers or cutting inside to shoot himself, Buendia is always looking to create something out of nothing. Now, it shouldn't prove difficult to convince the attacking midfielder, who had the best spell of his career under the German's influence.

While he is undoubtedly still recovering from a serious knee injury he sustained in 2023/24, he is worth a risk on a temporary deal. He can win matches both through moments of brilliance and consistent quality, whilst he could operate as either a right-sided winger or attacking midfielder for Leeds.

They have very few forwards like him in their ranks as well. The last time he played at this level, he notched 31 goal contributions and built a brilliant partnership with Teemu Pukki, while he also took home the Championship's Player of the Year award.

He turns 28 this month, so he ought to be at the peak of his career and if he has overcome the injury he suffered in 23/24, then Leeds have to make him their primary target. He ticks all the boxes and it could revive a stalling career and give Leeds the creativity to unlock doors against compact and defensively organised teams