Leeds United could be set for another summer of change in the playing squad after they failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Wilfried Gnonto is reportedly keen to make a move to the Serie A and Liverpool have been linked with a swoop to sign Crysencio Summerville from the Whites.
One player who has already confirmed their permanent departure from Elland Road, though, is right-back Luke Ayling, who is set to join Championship rivals Middlesbrough.
The full-back spent the second half of the season on loan with Boro and will now join them permanently when his Leeds contract expires this summer.
Daniel Farke could land a dream replacement for the experienced defender, though, by landing a reported summer transfer target for the club.
Leeds United’s interest in Premier League defender
It was recently reported by journalist Ben Jacobs that Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in a swoop to sign Chelsea full-back Alfie Gilchrist.
The reporter claimed that the Whites, Preston North End, and Blackburn Rovers are all keen on the versatile English defender to bolster their respective defences.
Jacobs stated that the 20-year-old battler could go out on loan to a Championship side, and added that Swansea and Millwall have not opened talks with Chelsea at this point.
This suggests that Leeds could face plenty of competition to land the Premier League starlet this summer but they could secure a dream replacement for Ayling if they do manage to win the race for his signature.
Why Leeds should sign Alfie Gilchrist
Firstly, the 32-year-old veteran enjoyed a terrific career at Elland Road with 268 appearances, 11 goals, and 21 assists in all competitions for the club.
He proved his worth in multiple positions, playing at right-back, centre-back, and right midfield, and this made him a valuable and versatile option for the Whites.
Gilchrist, whose attitude was dubbed “first class” by development squad head coach Mark Robinson, offers the same versatility as he has spent the majority of his youth career playing as a centre-back but 13 of his 17 first-team appearances for Chelsea this term came at right-back.
|
23/24 Premier League |
Alfie Gilchrist |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
11 |
|
Starts |
2 |
|
Minutes per game |
20 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Pass accuracy |
85% |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
0.7 |
As you can see in the table above, the £5.5k-per-week youngster did not get many chances to shine this season in the Premier League but was a reliable passer and netted his first top-flight goal.
His goal threat was also on display at youth level as the talented youngster scored five goals from centre-back across Youth League, U18 and U23 level combined, which suggests that he could chip in with strikes at times – just like Ayling did with his 11 goals in 268 games.
Gilchrist’s defensive skills were on display in the EFL Trophy during the 2022/23 campaign as he made 2.3 tackles and interceptions combined per game and won 70% of his ground duels across four games – playing against senior League One and League Two outfits.
Related
Leeds could sign an “exceptional” Gnonto replacement
The Whites were linked with an interest in the impressive attacker earlier this year.
This suggests that the potential is also there for him to be a solid defensive presence to go along with his versatility and goal threat, which is another reason why he would be a dream replacement for Ayling.
Therefore, Farke should swoop to land the 20-year-old talent on loan due to his ability to play multiple positions and his potential to provide quality on the pitch.
