Roland Cutinho
Manchester United defender Brandon Williams linked with a shocking move to Leeds United this summer
According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, Leeds United are interested in signing Manchester United left-back Brandon Williams to help them achieve promotion next season.
Leeds manager Daniel Farke is optimistic about guiding the team back to the Premier League after their relegation last season. He sees potential in signing Williams and believes he could be a valuable addition to the squad.
United have already completed the signings of two players, but manager Erik ten Hag is eager to bring in more new faces. However, in order to do so, the club needs to raise funds by selling some of its first-team players.
During pre-season, the manager has given playing time to several players with uncertain futures to assess their potential role in the squad going forward.
One such player is Williams, who has featured prominently in pre-season matches. However, his performance against Borussia Dortmund in the final friendly of the US tour was less than impressive, as he made a mistake that led to Dortmund’s opening goal.
Since his breakthrough season in 2019/20, the 22-year-old has struggled to secure regular playing time. During his earlier loan spell at Norwich, the versatile full-back managed to play 29 matches despite the club’s poor performance under manager Farke.
Considering the depth of options available to Ten Hag in the full-back positions at Old Trafford, it seems improbable that Williams will receive significant playing time at the club.
While the English full-back is capable of playing on both the right and left sides, United’s current roster boasts Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the left and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot on the right, making competition for those positions quite intense.
Leeds are providing Williams with an opportunity to secure regular playing time as they aim for an immediate return to the Premier League following their relegation last season.
The Yorkshire club’s manager, Farke, has multiple choices for the right-back position, with experienced player Luke Ayling and promising talent Cody Drameh providing strong options in that position.
On the other hand, the left-back position has been a problematic area for the club in recent years. Senior left-back Junior Firpo may leave the club, leaving them short of options.
As a result, Leeds are planning to reinforce their left-back position during the upcoming weeks to address this issue.
However, a loan move will not be easy to execute as the Red Devils would favour a permanent move for the player. They require transfer fees to finance their targeted signings, making a permanent transfer more likely for the young full-back.
However, the key concern for Leeds is the player’s wage demands, which might be difficult for the Championship club to meet. This could require a compromise, which will also affect the potential transfer fee.
Given United’s need to sell players to fund their own transfer targets, they might not be in a strong position to negotiate a substantial fee for Williams.
Therefore, if the move is permanent, it would come as a surprise if Leeds were to pay a significant fee for the player. Although the move looks complicated, there are chances that it could happen if both clubs meet on common grounds.
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It remains to be seen whether the left-back joins another club or continues to spend another season on the bench.
