49ers Enterprises will not want Leeds United languishing in the Championship any further than beyond this season.
49ers took full ownership of Leeds back in the summer of 2023 just after relegation from the Premier League, meaning they have not fully been able to flex their financial muscle just yet.
Leeds have as good a chance of promotion this season as they ever will and so January could prove to be a crucial month when it comes to adding to the squad to help Daniel Farke‘s side get over the line.
Three points over Oxford United this afternoon would guarantee Leeds head into Christmas in the top two, but it is a race that looks set to go down to the wire.
Sheffield United, Burnley and Sunderland are almost certain to strengthen their squads next month and while many view Leeds as having the strongest in the division, they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
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Louie Barry sends Leeds January transfer message
Farke wants a quiet January at Leeds but the financial incentive of getting promotion is far too big to be conservative next month.
Goalkeeper, number 10 and striker are all positions that could do with strengthening and there have already been plenty of links to new players.
Aston Villa’s Louie Barry is among those to have been mentioned as a potential target, having ripped apart League One during the first half of the season with Stockport County.
Villa are likely to recall Barry next month in order to send him on loan to a Championship club, with Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley reportedly keen.
On Friday night, Barry sent yet another message to those interested clubs of how good he is by providing two assists for Stockport in a crucial 2-1 win over Peterborough United.
Barry is now up to 15 goals and three assists for the season in League One, and his confidence levels mean he would be ready to hit the ground running for whichever team he decides to join.
Given he has played predominantly off the left for Stockport, it remains to be seen whether he is the kind of striker Leeds need, but that goal record cannot be ignored.
What Stockport boss Dave Challinor said about Barry future
Amid the ongoing speculation surrounding Barry’s future, Stockport boss Dave Challinor was asked about his hopes of keeping him until the end of the season.
Based on the answer he gave, it would be fair to say Challinor is pretty pessimistic about being able to do so.
He said: “When you take a player on loan, especially from a Premier League club, the reality is you know what you’re getting into.
“We obviously hope that he can stay and score another 15 goals and quite selfishly say that monetises his value more than going to a Championship club, but that’s a decision that’s out of our control,”
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