Leeds United will undoubtedly be looking for a left-back during the summer transfer window, since the club currently only has one specialist in Junior Firpo.
Sam Byram and Isaac Schmidt have also played left-back at times, but Firpo, who is out of contract, is the club’s only left-footed fullback. It makes it a top priority for Leeds United this summer.
Konstantinos Tsimikas is a natural left-back who is out of favour at Liverpool. Leeds are interested in signing Caoimhin Kelleher and Tsimikas, but the Liverpool combination may cost the club £40 million.
They will be considering a variety of players, but the Greek international appears to be someone Leeds are interested in adding Premier League experience to this young squad, especially with Firpo’s future at Elland Road in doubt.
Man City joins the race for Milos Kerkez — is Kostas Tsimikas’ move to Leeds on hold?
Some Leeds fans think Tsimikas is a good signing, but others were disappointed by his performance against Brighton in a 3-2 loss on Monday night.
Tsimikas’ salaries could be a concern, especially given that he turned 29 last week. He is Andy Robertson’s understudy, but Liverpool’s move for Milos Kerkez could lead to Tsimikas’ departure.
If they sign a left-back like that, Tsimikas will become third-choice in the left-sided full-back position, making his exit almost probable this summer. However, there has been a twist that may throw a spanner in the works.
Tsimikas is not guaranteed to be Leeds’ main priority at left-back, but that may not matter following the latest update. The Greek defender’s availability could be dependent on obtaining Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth.
According to Mark Douglas, Manchester City is now vying for the Hungarian’s services for £45 million, potentially leaving Liverpool without their first-choice left-back.
As a result, Leeds will have to hunt elsewhere for a left back. The irony is that Leeds was linked with Kerkez before he moved to The Vitality Stadium.
Is Tsimikas even the right sort of profile for Leeds at left-back?
This season, Leeds has relied heavily on a pair of attacking full-backs. It has served as a source of motivation and innovation for Daniel Farke, yet Tsimikas may be a waste of resources for this reason.
With the Premier League in mind, Leeds must find the best approach to profile and use their full-backs. Two players who can attack and put passes into the box are ideal when dominating the ball, but Leeds will have a lesser proportion of possession next season.
They must therefore evolve and adapt as a group. This entails finding inspiration elsewhere while also allowing Jayden Bogle to be the best version of himself by bombing forwards to join the attack.
Tsimikas is more of an attacking left-back, and Leeds really need a starting player who is defensively sound or an all-rounder. In most top-level games, starting two attacking players would be detrimental to defence performance.
So, should Tsimikas be a priority? Perhaps not. Perhaps Leeds should aim to sign a taller, more physically imposing, and strong defensive player. That would improve the team’s balance with and without the ball in the Premier League.
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