The summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday of next week and this means that Leeds United do not have much time left to complete their business.
Georginio Rutter's permanent transfer to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion was officially confirmed on Monday night, with the Frenchman becoming the latest star to move away from Elland Road in recent months.
Glen Kamara, who signed for Rennes, Archie Gray, who joined Tottenham Hotspur, and Crysencio Summerville, who moved to West Ham United, have also left the club this summer.
Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire outfit have dipped into the transfer market to land Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Bogle, and Joe Rodon to bolster Daniel Farke's squad.
This means that the Whites are yet to add an attacking midfielder, winger, or striker to the group, despite losing Summerville and Rutter from the team.
However, there are still around ten days left to go before the window slams shut and there is some time left for Leeds to pursue deals for attackers to improve Farke's attacking options ahead of the rest of the 2024/25 campaign.
In fact, the Yorkshire-based outfit are reportedly eyeing up a winger from the Championship to come in and replace Summerville this month.
Leeds eyeing swoop for EFL sensation
According to Football Insider, Leeds are targeting a late swoop to bring former academy graduate Jack Clarke back to Elland Road from divisional rivals Sunderland.
The report claims that the English wizard, who was described as "unplayable" by pundit Adrian Clarke, is one of the players the club have identified as a target to come in and bolster their wide options before the deadline passes.
It states that the Whites have decided that they will sign a winger and a striker before the end of the window, following the departures of Rutter and Summerville.
The Boot Room reports that Leeds are interested in signing Clarke and goes as far as to say that the Black Cats whiz is open to returning to his former club.
It added, though, that there are a number of teams keen on the electric forward and it will not be an easy deal for Farke's side to get over the line.
The outlet also revealed that it will take a fee of around £18m to tempt Sunderland into parting ways with their star player and it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites are prepared to spend that much on a signing this summer.
If they do splash the cash and swoop to sign Clarke for £18m, the Black Cats magician could come in as a dream partner for Mateo Joseph in the final third.
Mateo Joseph's attacking potential
Leeds supporters saw first-hand how willing Farke is to give young players a chance to showcase their ability, as Gray was handed a regular role in the team and earned the Championship Young Player of the Year award.
Joseph looks set to be the latest talented prospect to get the Gray treatment from the German head coach. He started the first two games of the league season, having come into the campaign with zero senior league starts in his career.
The Spain U21 international is yet to get off the mark this term but did create a 'big chance' for his teammates, which they failed to make the most of.
He has been handed an opportunity after an impressive summer, in which the youngster scored four goals during pre-season, with two strikes against Hannover, one against Schalke, and one against Valencia.
Last season, all 20 of his appearances in the Championship came as a substitute but he did get a chance to impress as a starter against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.
Minutes played
90
Shots
3
Goals
2
Key passes
2
Pass accuracy
81%
As you can see in the table above, Joseph found the back of the net twice against the Premier League side and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that he can make a big impact when given time and service.
The Spanish striker, who scored 19 goals in 33 games for the club at U21 level, did not have Rutter to provide him with service against West Brom on Saturday, and the signing of Clarke could provide him with a player who can create chances for him.
Why Leeds should sign Jack Clarke
Firstly, the 23-year-old gem came up through the ranks at Thorp Arch and may not take much time to settle in, as he has lived in the area and will already know people around the club.
This could allow him to hit the ground running in a way that a signing with no prior experience in the area or at the club may not be able to do this summer.
Secondly, he is a proven Championship performer who has the quality to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch, based on his form for Sunderland in recent seasons.
Appearances
45
40
2
Goals
9
15
1
Assists
11
4
1
Dribbles completed per game
2.0
3.7
3.5
As you can see in the table above, the English sensation has provided a big threat in the final third for the Black Cats, as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
This suggests that he could arrive at Elland Road this summer and Farke could expect him to immediately be a key player for the team, due to his proven quality at that level.
His creative prowess could also make him the perfect winger to play alongside Joseph, as he has the ability to consistently create high-quality chances for the forward.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Clarke created 12 'big chances' for his teammates and racked up 9.77 xA in the Championship. However, he was only rewarded with four assists, which shows that his fellow attackers let him down with their wasteful finishing.
Farke could land his own Raphinha in Leeds swoop for "electric" wizard
The Whites are reportedly interested in signing the Championship winger this month.
ByDan Emery
This suggests that Joseph would not be starved of service at the top end of the pitch if Leeds sign the winger, which is why they could be an exciting pairing for the club.