Brighton and Southampton’s ability to offer Premier League football could hand them an advantage over Leeds United in January.
Daniel Farke has suggested January will be a quiet month at Elland Road but that has not stopped numerous players from being linked.
Leeds currently sit third in the Championship and so anyone coming in needs to be ready to hit the ground running in a promotion race straight away.
However, Leeds will also need to be realistic in terms of the market they are shopping in, as if they are too ambitious they risk losing out to clubs in the top-flight, including Southampton despite their lowly position in the table.
Leeds fell foul to that in the summer as targets such as Jack Clarke, Jonathan Rowe and Sammie Szmodics all opted to join clubs in a higher division.
Brighton and Southampton ahead of Leeds in Lennon Miller race
Number 10 is the position everyone is talking about ahead of January, so much so Daniel Farke was specifically asked in his pre-Derby press conference.
One player who could potentially fit the mould that has been linked in the last week or so is Motherwell’s Lennon Miller, though he is more of a box-to-box.
Leeds have been watching Miller in action this season but according to the Daily Mail, both Brighton and Southampton are currently the most ‘advanced in their interest’.
Celtic, Rangers and Red Bull duo Leipzig and Salzburg were also mentioned as potential destinations for Miller, but Premier League money looks set to muscle in again.
As per the report, Miller is expected to cost somewhere in the region of £5 million, and a move to either Brighton or Southampton would be the big move Motherwell captain Paul McGinn has tipped him for.
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Leeds wise to avoid Miller deal in January
There is no doubt Miller is regarded as a top talent in Scotland but this sort of money is just something Leeds cannot be throwing around on a relative unknown in January.
Miller would also be arriving in a position Leeds are extremely well stocked in, and would only block the development of someone like Charlie Crew.
If Leeds do have £5 million to spend, they should instead splash it on an expensive Premier League loan that would make the difference in securing promotion.
Had Leeds been a Premier League side right now, then perhaps this would be a deal they could look at more seriously.
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