Rivalry aside, Leeds United could be the perfect destination for Man United man: Opinion

Leeds United are interested in a deal for Brandon Williams and a move to Elland Road could be a perfect destination.

Leeds United will be expected to be one of the busiest sides in the Championship in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

The window closes on the 1st of September, and it seems Daniel Farke is still eager to add several players to his squad.

The club has been surprisingly quiet so far, with only two players coming through the door as of the middle of last week, Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.

But, as the Championship season gets underway, it is bound to get busier with arrivals at Elland Road. The Yorkshire side have already lost several key first-team players, and more are expected to leave, which puts pressure on the hierarchy to get signings through the door.

One player that seems of interest to Leeds is Manchester United defender Brandon Williams, someone who is known to Daniel Farke.

Leeds United’s interest in Man United defender Brandon Williams

Leeds are said to be interested in signing Man United defender Brandon Williams, as reported by journalist Miguel Delaney.

Farke knows his squad still needs strengthening in the final month of the transfer window and is said to be eyeing a move for a player he has previously worked with.

Williams played for Farke at Norwich City in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, and it seems he is keen to work with him once again.

The 22-year-old found himself down the pecking order at Old Trafford, as last season he only played five minutes in the first team, and that was a cameo in the EFL Cup.

The defender has enjoyed quite a successful pre-season so far with United, but it seems he is still a player that the Premier League side are willing to listen to offers for, as they grapple with financial fair play rules.

Why could Leeds United be the best destination for Brandon Williams?

Of course, Leeds and Man United are arch-rivals, and it is very rare that you see the two football clubs doing transfer business together, but in this case, it could work for all parties involved.

Many people at Old Trafford thought Williams was going to be the next big star to break through their academy, and while he has done well when given opportunities, they have not come around a lot, and it seems a move away is the best scenario for the player.

It has been reported in the past that Man United could be looking for around £10 million for Williams and while it is unclear if Leeds would be willing to go that far, he is a good option for the club to consider.

Obviously, Farke is aware of Williams having worked with him before, and you would presume that benefits the manager and player. Williams has never played in the Championship, but he has shown in Man United’s first team and during his time at Norwich that he has enormous quality; it is just about having the opportunities to show that.

The defender’s best season for appearances was at Norwich, where Williams showed his defensive qualities. He averaged 2.1 tackles per game, while also claiming 1.7 interceptions and, alongside that, he managed 1.7 clearances, as per WhoScored.com.

Coming through the academy at Man United, Williams developed in that structure that he can be comfortable with the ball at his feet. This was shown at Norwich, as he averaged 35.9 passes, with 0.8 being key passes. He had an overall success rate of 81.8%, as per WhoScored.com.

While surprisingly, despite playing for a team that struggled in the Premier League, Williams also showed his attacking threat, averaging 0.2 shots per game with 8.8 dribbles coming from the full-back.

Williams seemed to play some of his best football in that season at Carrow Road, as he was given game time and the week-on-week opportunity to simply just play. That doesn’t seem like it is going to happen at Man United, so the player would be wise to move on.

Many may think Leeds isn’t the best destination purely because of the rivalry and the politics that always go with that, but it allows the player to go and play for a big football club where he will be under pressure to succeed, something Williams is used to. In addition to that, he would play for a manager who knows and trusts him.

That’s all whilst Leeds are not all that gifted in the full-back areas, as some players’ futures are up in the air and others like Luke Ayling, it could be argued, are past their best. So, Williams, who has plenty of versatility to offer, could really be of benefit at Leeds, playing week in, week out in the Championship before, hopefully, returning to the Premier League and showcasing his quality once again.