Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Should Leeds regret overlooking Liverpool man, after deadline-day move?
Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa chose not to bring any players to Leeds United in the January window after a big summer spend that reached almost £100million – but should a Liverpool exit have convinced them to enter the market?
The Whites tried on numerous occasions in the summer to bring in a central midfielder – making numerous reported bids for Udinese captain Rodrigo De Paul, while Michael Cuisance failed a medical and has since joined French club Marseille.
Those lack of options in midfield are becoming more and more apparent. Mateusz Klich is out of form and has been dropped from the starting XI, while Rodrigo picked up an injury against Leicester City on Sunday afternoon at the King Power.
It means first-choice left-back Stuart Dallas is likely to partner Klich in midfield – an out-of-position player alongside an out-of-form midfielder – because the Whites have little other option. They needed to look at an attacking playmaker in the window.
Indeed, Leeds should be kicking themselves that they did not consider Liverpool’s Japan international Takumi Minamino – with the Reds seemingly open to his exit. That is after Southampton have lured Minamino to the south coast on loan.
Having played for RedBull Salzburg and Liverpool, Minamino is well accustomed to the high press and has enormous work rate – something that Marcelo Bielsa sees as fundamental from his players. But he also goals, assists and creation in his game.
Minamino, 26, struggled initially at Liverpool but his form has slightly improved this season. The £75,000-a-week () man has had a hand in six goals during 17 appearances, though only seven of those matches have been starts.
He needs game time and will get that at Southampton. But Leeds needed a player like Minamino in the middle of the park – he would have been the perfect kind of player for Bielsa’s system. Leeds should be kicking themselves they did not consider him.
