NORWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Norwich City Manager Daniel Farke celebrates victory after full time during the Sky Bet Championship match between Norwich City and Bristol City at Carrow Road on February 23, 2019 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
Leeds: Farke must rekindle interest in a £25k-per-week ace who has outperformed. Kamara
During the summer transfer window, the Whites made a bid for the midfielder.
After being relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, Leeds United hired Daniel Farke as their new manager.
The Whites chose to back the German manager in the transfer market, where he was able to reinforce his squad with a slew of fresh arrivals.
Joel Piroe, Karl Darlow, Djed Spence, Ilia Gruev, Joe Rodon, Jaidon Anthony, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Sam Byram were all loaned or signed permanently.
Those additions have contributed to Leeds’ successful start to the 2023/24 Championship season, as Farke has managed to excite fans with his attacking style of football.
With 20 goals in their first 12 games, the Yorkshire club is third in the standings and six points outside the automatic promotion places.
However, their most recent victory, over Norwich City, reminded Farke of why he wanted to recruit Kenny McLean, who has outperformed Kamara this season, during the summer transfer window.
Were Leeds interested in McLean?
According to Sky Sports (28/08/2023), the Whites had a £4m bid turned down by the Canaries as the German strategist wanted to reunite with his former midfielder.
The Scotland international then said that the interest was immediately ‘put to bed’ and that he wants to be a part of Norwich’s third promotion to the Premier League.
McLean signed a contract extension at Carrow Road shortly after Leeds’ unsuccessful pursuit of his services. His new contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 season, with an option to extend it for another year.
The Yellows, on the other hand, have lost five of their past seven games in all competitions, and Farke may aim to put his former club to the test again during the January transfer window.
If Norwich’s form does not improve, a promotion push may be out of the question, putting McLean’s career in jeopardy if Leeds maintains their present run and can offer a realistic prospect of promotion back to the Premier League.
Why were Leeds interested in McLean?
During their four seasons together in Norfolk, the £25k-per-week maestro appeared in 114 matches across all competitions.
This demonstrates that the German manager relied on the central midfielder because he was a regular feature in his team, prompting the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach manager to label him “irreplaceable.”
McLean won two Championship titles as Leeds manager, starting 45 league games in each of the two seasons (2018/19 and 2020/21).
This shows that the former Aberdeen star knows what it takes to get promoted from this level and, crucially, is able to excel within Farke’s system and would be able to hit the ground running as he already knows the division and what the manager wants from him in his position.
His quality in the Championship was on full display at Carrow Road on Saturday as the Scotsman outperformed Kamara in the middle of the park.
How did McLean perform against Leeds?
The 31-year-old ace caught the eye with a fantastic display against Farke’s side over the weekend as he showcased his ability in and out of possession.
Norwich’s captain anchored the midfield for David Wagner and his defensive presence allowed the impressive Gabriel Sara to venture forward and trouble Leeds, which led to a goal and an assist from the Brazilian whiz.
McLean finished the game with seven tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances for his team, according to Sofascore. Throughout the game, no other midfielder on either team made more than seven combined tackles and interceptions.
As he demonstrated his quality on the ball, the left-footed ace generated one chance and completed 82% of his attempted passes, including six of his ten long pass attempts.
