EPL LOAN SIGNINGS THAT LEEDS UNITED SHOULD BE LOOKING AT

Delving into the loan market would be a smart idea and one that Leeds United, Daniel Farke and the 49ers should look to take full advantage of.

All three promoted sides from last term used the loan market wisely, with Ipswich and Southampton leaning especially heavily on the reliance of loan players.

Joe Rothwell was one such signing the Saints brought in last term and it’s one that Leeds have now added for this upcoming season. He offers vital experience (which Daniel Farke wanted) for a nominal fee and it adds options and a different look to our game in midfield.

Here I’ve identified three players in positions we currently need bodies. They are all first team ready and can add to the squad from day one:

CAMERON ARCHER – CF – 22 – Aston Villa

In a strange turn of events, Archer has ended up returning to Villa this season. The terms of his £18.5m switch to Sheffield United last season included a mandatory buy-back clause should Sheff get relegated. And as such he has now returned to Villa.

Emery shipped him off last season, so it stands to reason he may be available again this summer.

A prerequisite and non-negotionable for our centre forward this season has to be someone who is a composed finisher. Archer is plenty experienced at this level, having banged 18 goals and 7 assists in previous loan spells at Preston and Middlesborough. While at Boro, Archer had a goal conversion rate of 30%, as opposed to Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe, who, this season, both had poor conversion rates of 15%.

Archer is a quintessential centre forward. He has an abundance of pace, can score a variety of goals – left foot, right foot, headers, penalties – he’s a brilliant ball carrier, intuitive runner and attacker of space and his main focus is scoring goals – with his heatmap seeing him involved in the box a lot more than the aforementioned Bamford and Piroe.

Furthermore, he is more than adept in build-up play, interlinking with teammates and busting a gut to get himself in a more dangerous position to create for teammates or force himself into a goal scoring opportunity.

As a defensive presser from the front, he’s very useful and can cover a lot of ground. Archer ranks in the 77th percentile for tackles in the attacking third, the 84th percentile for dribbles tackled and the 90th percentile for passes blocked.

An instinctual and composed striker, who leverages his pace and intuition to impact the game in the final third.

His Villa future is uncertain right now and a…