Leeds United don’t tend to be Premier League clubs’ favoured destination when it comes to loaning out youngsters.
Though Leeds have used that market since relegation in May 2023, they have also missed out on a number of targets for one key reason.
Due to the level of quality already in the squad, Leeds are simply unable to guarantee regular minutes straight away, and so clubs prefer to send them elsewhere.
Fabio Carvalho’s move to Hull City in January was a key example of that, though Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Hugo Bueno are more recent ones.
As such, Leeds may well be better off using the permanent market in the final two-and-a-half-weeks of the window, which could help them in the race for one potential target.
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Chelsea stance on Leeds target Bashir Humphreys revealed
Leeds are still on the lookout for three more signings before the window slams shut, with central midfield, full-back and winger the positions of interest.
Jonathan Rowe appears to be the top target for the latter, while Leeds are now assessing other options in midfield after being priced out of a move for Dejan Ljubicic.
Links for defenders have been few and far between since Leeds’ failure to sign Bueno from Wolves, but one player they have been looking at is Chelsea’s Bashir Humphreys.
According to Fabrizio Romano, both Leeds and Burnley are showing ‘concrete’ interest in the 21-year-old, who is set to leave Stamford Bridge in the ‘coming days’.
In what could be good news for Leeds, Chelsea would actually rather move Humphreys on permanently, meaning they do not have to enter discussions about game time had it been a loan deal.
At this stage, it is uncertain what sort of asking price Chelsea are asking for Humphreys, but he does still have three years left on his deal.
Who is Leeds target Humphreys and where would he fit?
Humphreys is a product of Chelsea’s academy but like many others, has never really been close to making it in the first team.
He has had two loan spells away from the club during his career, first over in Germany at SC Paderborn, and more recently at Swansea City last season.
Humphreys is certainly an interesting profile for Leeds to be targeting given he is primarily a centre-back that is left-footed, given Pascal Struijk and Max Wober are already options.
However, the ‘outstanding‘ Humphreys is also capable of playing as a full-back and perhaps Daniel Farke views him as someone who could come in and provide a more defensive option in that area.
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