Leeds United Have A Decision To Make Before the Window Closes

Leeds United are off to a tremendous start to the 2022-23 Premier League campaign. After a season of struggles, the board was aggressive in the summer transfer window and made multiple key signings to offset the loss of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha.

Leeds Work This Summer a Big Hit

The signings have strengthened the squad and more specifically, the midfield. The first signing occurred days after securing a spot in the Premier League, with the signing of Brendan Aaronson.

No squad is ever perfect, and injuries are unavoidable in a long, grueling season of football.

After a long season of injuries, the board should be aware of the consequences that come with a thin squad. Marcelo Bielsa strongly supported having a small squad, but Jesse Marsch has a different philosophy.

Still, can more be done to secure this squad with less than a week before the window closes?

Patrick Bamford was the poster boy for Leeds United the prior season. Having established himself as a solid number nine in the Premier League, Bamford suffered an injury early in the campaign. Despite setbacks, he returned and contributed for a short time against Brentford at Elland Road. He tied the match to secure a huge point.

Unfortunately, Bamford re-injured himself and was back on the injured list for quite some time.

In a similar fashion, Bamford had returned once again to play briefly before suffering an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the campaign. A brief possibility to return for the last match at Brentford was crushed by Covid.

Now Bamford is off to another solid start to the campaign, but again, has suffered an injury.

Can Bamford be relied on to produce at the striker position?

In the absence of Bamford, Rodrigo has settled in nicely and has produced to his salary and expectations when signing for the Whites.

It may be a blessing in disguise, but Rodrigo may take the reigns and run with it. If he does not, Joe Gelhardt is ready for his extended time in the starting lineup.

Coming on as a substitute mostly last year, Gelhardt has quickly become a folk hero with all the enormous goals he has scored. Still, he did not beat out Bamford to start the season.

If Bamford cannot be relied upon to stay on the pitch, is it worth bringing in another striker this week?

The issue is with Rodrigo’s inconsistency in his time at Elland Road. If Bamford can’t stay on the pitch and Rodrigo falls back to his normal ways, the pressure would all be on Gelhardt. Gelhardt has also had his time with injuries, which would cause major chaos.

It would be smart and beneficial for Leeds to bring in another striker option, be it a less flashy signing. The club could be put in a tough spot if things don’t go their way and last season showed the importance of having stability at the position.