Championship table-toppers Leeds United are not the only club using the January transfer window in an attempt to add some much-needed central defensive depth to their ranks.
Heading into the second half of a gruelling promotion battle, Daniel Farke knows that an injury to Joe Rodon or Pascal Struijk would leave Leeds United’s defensive options verging on the decimated.
Yes, The Whites would still have the versatile Ethan Ampadu and Max Wober, but the fact remains that there are only three senior, natural centre-halves currently plying their trade at Elland Road.
That number would decrease to two if Red Bull Salzburg had their way.
It is no secret that the Austrian giants, desperate to reclaim the throne usurped last season by Sturm Graz, would like to bring Wober back to the club where he won a trio of Austrian Bundesliga titles.
Director Rouven Schroder admitted Leeds’ asking price was an issue when speaking on Wober’s situation a month ago, however, and it appears that little has changed in the following weeks.
Red Bull Salzburg cannot afford Leeds United’s Max Wober
According to local publication Salzburger Nachrichten, an experienced centre-half sits right at the top of Salzburg’s wishlist like an angel atop a Christmas tree.
In an ideal world, a team who’s defensive deficiencies were exposed once again by a 6-0 friendly thrashing by Bayern Munich on Tuesday would look to bring in either Wober or fellow Austria international – and Feyenoord captain – Gernot Trauner.
Both players are understood to be beyond Salzburg’s reach, however,.
Furthermore, ten points adrift in the league table and staring down the barrel of an early Champions League exit, a team who have dominated the Austrian scene over the last decade are not really in a position to appeal to their more ambitious transfer targets.
No wonder Schroder, to quote Salzburger Nachrichten, is ‘struggling’ to find a solution in the transfer market.
“Wober is one of three centre-backs at Leeds, and they have maximum ambitions to get into the Premier League,” former RB Leipzig chief Schroder told Laola1 in December. “It will be difficult to put the money on the table.
“That has nothing to do with the player. He’s top. We might have to bake smaller rolls, even make a clever loan transfer.”
Daniel Farke pleased to have Wober back after injury absence
With another two-and-a-half years on his contract, Leeds are under no immediate pressure to sell Wober.
The Vienna-born 26-year-old has come in pretty useful of late too, his ability to play at both centre-half, left-back and even as a left-wing back – Max Wober impressed in a new role as Leeds faced Blackburn Rovers on New Years Day – has made the £11 million man one of the most useful members of Farke’s squad.
“Perhaps it was a bit risky to play Max [for] 45 minutes,” Farke admitted after Wober made his return from injury at half-time against John Eustace’s well-organised Blackburn side. “But he is an experience player and thought he could mange himself a little bit.
“After he came through it, it is good for him to have another 45 minutes. It’s good to have him back. I liked his performance in the second-half.
“He looked sharp, played a role in the build up to the penalty.”
Leeds United host Harrogate Town in the FA Cup third round this weekend. Wober will be a candidate to start, particularly if Farke takes the chance to rest Rodon, Ampadu and Struijk against fourth-tier opposition.
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