The Whites might be on the verge of acquiring their own version of a defender who is truly remarkable.
After witnessing the majority of their first-team talents leave without being asked, Leeds United may finally be prepared to continue their summer spending…
This summer, who will Leeds United be acquiring?
Daniel Farke’s summer, which had previously held much promise, has now completely unraveled.
The German probably anticipated having a strong team to start the new Championship season, but he has had to watch with dismay as no less than eight of his key players have left.
There hasn’t been much lately for fans to celebrate about, especially given their terrible start to the league season without a victory.
However, after taking to social media on Wednesday to provide an update on the Whites’ pursuit of Taylor Harwood-Bellis of Manchester City, journalist John Percy has finally offered some new optimism for the team.
In a post on the platform, he provided the following update on the guy apparently worth £15 million: “Cup contenders Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton are interested in signing Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan. Before the transfer window shuts, City are also willing to sell the captain of England’s under-21 team for the right price.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis: how good is he?
The 21-year-old center back has played four complete seasons of senior football but has already demonstrated enough to suggest that he is more than capable of taking on a more demanding position.
Particularly considering the maturity and experience he possesses for someone so young, having recently coached England’s U21 team to victory in the European Championship earlier in the summer without giving up a goal.
Lee Carsley, his supervisor at the international level, praised him right away: “Like a lot of these young players, he has grown into being a leader.”
He maintained a 7.21 average rating in Leeds’ new tier, helped by his 85% pass accuracy, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, and 3.1 clearances per game, according to Sofascore. This success followed his standout season on loan at Burnley.
With such a rating, he would have been by far Leeds’ best performer from the previous season, and his clearances per game would have been sufficient to place him third.
His towering build and such a knack for controlling the ball naturally evoke comparisons to Ruben Dias, another of Pep Guardiola’s star defenders.
Under the Spanish coach, the Portugal international has developed into a true star, winning the Premier League Player of the Season award in his first season and helping his new team to the championship.
His 7.11 average rating served as a catalyst for this because he posted figures that stood out in crucial categories where Harwood-Bellis has also succeeded. After all, according to Sofascore, he also consistently maintained a 93% pass accuracy, coupled with 0.8 tackles, 2.8 clearances, and 1.1 interceptions each game.
Naturally, such play earned accolades, with Guardiola taking the lead: “Ruben is not only playing his game. He is competing for everyone. He is able to recognize and address issues with many different things. His moral character is crucial. He showed tremendous leadership, even though he wasn’t playing.
FBref assists in outlining the underlying statistics that characterize Harwood-Bellis as a true ball-playing star in order to emphasize his similarities with his youthful teammate even more. He is in the top 1% for passes attempted per 90, the top 4% for progressive passes per 90, and the top 9% for interceptions per 90 when compared to other centre-backs in the eight leagues that are most similar to the Championship.
If he is even half as helpful as Dias was when he first joined the Etihad, the Stockport-born star may be able to change the atmosphere at Elland Road and bring some hope back to Yorkshire.