Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is hoping to successfully mastermind a promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
The Whites were relegated from the top-flight at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and brought in the German boss to plot a route back to the big time last season.
He led them to a third-place finish in the Championship, just behind Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the automatic promotion places, and then lost to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley.
Farke won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City and will now be hoping that he can secure a third trophy in the division this season.
His squad has been damaged by the departures of Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter this summer, but he has been able to bring in Joe Rothwell, Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle, and Alex Cairns.
The summer transfer window is still open until Friday night and the German boss could want to make further additions to his squad, with a Championship attacking midfielder said to be on his wishlist.
Leeds interested in Championship playmaker
According to the Daily Mail, Leeds are interested in signing Sheffield United playmaker Gustavo Hamer before the deadline passes later this week.
The report claims that the Whites submitted an offer of £13m to snap the Dutch maestro up from Bramall Lane and were rebuffed by the Championship side.
It states that the Blades are not looking to cash in on the 27-year-old magician in the final few days of the window, despite the 49ers' efforts to tempt them into selling.
An offer of £13m was not enough to convince Sheffield United to part ways with a player they paid £15m to sign from Coventry City last summer, following their promotion to the Premier League.
It now remains to be seen whether or not the Whites will go back in with an improved offer for the talented attacking midfielder, as the report does not reveal what their plan is with the £30k-per-week gem going forward.
Dutch outlet TransferWatch claims, though, that personal terms have already been agreed between Farke's team and the ex-Coventry star, with it now being down to the two clubs to agree a fee.
Leeds and the Blades look set to compete with each other in the battle to secure promotion to the Premier League this season and Chris Wilder's side may not want to strengthen one of their potential rivals, whilst weakening their own team, with a few days to go before the deadline.
Farke, however, could unearth his own version of former promotion hero Pablo Hernandez at Elland Road by securing a deal for Hamer this week.
Pablo Hernandez's Leeds magic
The Spanish maestro was a versatile midfield player who could operate out wide on the flank or through the middle as an attacking midfielder for the club.
He thrived under Marcelo Bielsa in the Championship and provided immense quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the West Yorkshire outfit, particularly in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns.
The right-footed wizard was a superstar for the Argentine head coach in the 2018/19 season, after Bielsa was appointed in the summer of 2018.
Appearances
39
Goals
12
Assists
12
Big chances created
16
Key passes per game
3.0
Dribbles completed per game
1.1
As you can see in the table above, Hernandez was directly involved in 24 goals in 39 appearances for the Whites as they missed out on promotion via the play-offs.
He provided consistent quality as a scorer and a creator from a midfield position and followed that up with another impressive season as Leeds won the title in the 2019/20 campaign.
The Spanish ace produced nine goals and nine assists, with another season of a symmetrical spread of goal contributions, in 37 Championship games for the club.
These statistics, along with his overall stats as shown in the graphic above, show that Hernandez was a constant threat to opposition defences during his spell at Elland Road.
He was a mercurial talent who could win matches with his quality at the top end of the pitch and Farke could now land his own version of the talented ace.
Why Gustavo Hamer could be Pablo Hernandez 2.0
The Dutch magician is a proven Championship performer who could provide a similar presence to Hernandez in the final third with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals from a number ten or wide position.
A central or attacking midfielder usually, Hamer has started the current campaign as a winger for Sheffield United and this shows that Farke could use him in a wide role or in behind Mateo Joseph.
The 27-year-old, who was described as a "beautiful" player by journalist Josh Bunting, has been on fire in the first three games, with a return of two goals, one assist, and two 'big chances' created in three appearances, and that comes after his tally of four goals and six assists in the Premier League last term.
Prior to his move to Bramall Lane in the summer of 2023, Hamer showcased his attacking quality in the Championship during his time with Coventry.
Appearances
41
Goals
9
Assists
10
Big chances created
16
Key passes per game
1.8
Dribbles completed per game
1.1
As you can see in the table above, the talented playmaker provided a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Mark Robins in the 2022/23 season.
His return of ten assists from 16 'big chances' created also suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing in front of goal.
Including an outing against Leicester at the start of last season, Hamer has produced 11 goals, 12 assists, and 21 'big chances' created in 45 Championship games since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
Leeds could land “exciting” signing for Joseph in late move for EFL star
The Whites are reportedly interested in signing the attacking midfielder this week.
ByDan EmeryAug 26, 2024
These statistics suggest that Farke could unearth his own Pablo Hernandez by signing the Blades star, due to his ability to be a difference-maker on a regular basis from a midfield position at Championship level.