A Viduka repeat: Leeds open initial talks to sign midfield “machine”
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be able to make further additions to his playing squad when the January transfer window opens for business next month.
It will be interesting to see what kind of players the German boss wants to add to the group, though, because he has changed the formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 in the last two matches, resulting in a 3-1 win over Chelsea and a 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
Because of how successful the new system has been, Farke may want to alter the club’s plans for the window to sign players who fit the 3-5-2, rather than a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
Leeds make approach for Premiership star
What this may mean, for example, is that versatile wing-back options could be pursued instead of traditional wingers, as would be needed for the previous system.
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According to the print edition of the Scottish Daily Mail, via MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United have made an approach to sign Hibernian star Josh Mulligan in the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites and fellow Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest are both interested in a deal to snap up the versatile Scottish talent ahead of the second half of the season.
It adds that Leeds have checked in on his progress in the Scottish Premiership and made contact with Hibs to see what their stance is on a January sale.
However, the report does not reveal what the answer to that approach was or how much Mulligan would cost if they wanted to submit a bid to snap him up next month.
Why Leeds should sign Josh Mulligan in January
Scotland is not one of the club’s usual markets. Per Transfermarkt, none of the current first-team squad joined Leeds from a Scottish club, and only Mark Viduka ranks within their top 50 most-expensive signings.
The Whites signed Viduka from Celtic in the summer of 2000, and he went on to score 72 goals in 166 appearances for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he was an incredibly successful signing from north of the border.
Mulligan could follow in the Australian striker’s footsteps by becoming one of the rare players to make the move from Scotland to be a key player and star for Leeds in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old star is not a striker who is going to go and score goals at the rate that Viduka did, but he is an impressive attacking force who could shine in the newly created right wing-back role at Elland Road.
Mulligan has played as a central midfielder, as a right wing-back, as an attacking midfielder, and as a right winger, per FotMob, and he has caught the eye with his performances.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Mulligan |
Rank vs CMs |
|---|---|---|
|
xA |
2.17 |
Top 15% |
|
Assists |
3 |
Top 9% |
|
Chances created |
14 |
Top 19% |
|
Cross accuracy |
30% |
Top 22% |
|
Successful dribbles |
16 |
Top 3% |
|
Touches in the opposition’s box |
40 |
Top 6% |
|
Stats via FotMob |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Scottish talent has shown that he has the attributes to make an impact at the top end of the pitch, and his dribbling, chance creation, and cross accuracy stats suggest that he is well-suited to a wing-back role.
Back in August, analyst John Walker described him as the “Scottish Gareth Bale” after a stunning Bale-esque goal from distance against Livingston in the Premiership.
He’s not the only one to compare him to the great Welshman. Former teammate Simon Ferry once said: “He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – powerful, strong, direct. He’s a machine at that age. He wants to learn, listens to you.”
Since the start of last season, Mulligan has provided eight league assists for Dundee and Hibernian combined, per Sofascore, whilst Jayden Bogle has produced five assists for Leeds in that time in the Championship and the Premier League.
The Hibs star has scored three goals and provided three assists in all competitions in the current campaign, compared to Bogle’s one goal and one assist, and could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch than the Englishman.
Mulligan’s experience playing as a wing-back for Dundee and Hibernian also means that he would be a perfect fit for Farke’s new system in the 3-5-2 formation, as he is used to playing in the role, albeit in Scotland, and could slot straight into the team as a potential upgrade on Bogle.
If the Scottish whiz can adapt to the Premier League and hit the ground running as an attacking force down the flank for the Whites, he could be Viduka 2.0 as the next Premiership star to shine in the top-flight for Leeds, if they can get a deal done in January.
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