Leeds United have put themselves into a fantastic position to go and attack the second half of the 2024/25 campaign in order to earn automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
The Whites will have extra motivation to finish in the top two after they ended up third and went on to lose to Southampton in the play-off final at the end of last season.
A 1-0 win over Derby County at Pride Park on Sunday ensured that the West Yorkshire outfit will go into the New Year at the top of the Championship table, two points ahead of Sheffield United in second.
Brenden Aaronson, as you can see in the highlights above, scored the only goal of the game by getting on the end of a flowing move from the away side.
That goal from the USA international ensured that Leeds will head into 2025 in first place, but the Whites must not rest on their laurels as there is plenty more football to be played.
The January transfer window officially opens for business on Wednesday and the club are reportedly looking at potential recruits to come in and bolster the squad ahead of the second half of the season.
Leeds keen on Championship forward
According to journalist Alan Nixon, on his Patreon page, as relayed by Leeds Live, Daniel Farke is lining up a swoop to raid Championship rivals Burnley.
The reporter claims that the Whites are interested in a deal to sign out-of-favour forward Mike Tresor from the Clarets, as he is yet to make an appearance in the league so far this season.
He states that Burnley chairman Alan Pace wants Tresor to play for the club but manager Scott Parker has not given him a single minute of action, despite claiming that the player has been available for selection throughout the campaign.
Nixon adds that some inside the training ground at Burnley have nicknamed him ‘hidden’, because of his lack of appearances in the first-team, and it remains to be seen whether or not the winger and Parker can patch up their seemingly fractured relationship.
The journalist reports that Leeds are now looking to take advantage of this situation with a swoop to sign the 25-year-old maestro when the January transfer window opens for business.
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However, it is said to be a very difficult deal for Farke and Leeds to get over the line next month because Burnley are directly competing with the club to secure automatic promotion and would be hesitant to bolster one of their rivals by allowing them to sign Tresor.
If the Whites can convince the Clarets to part ways with the Belgian gem, whether that is permanently or on loan, then the German head coach could land his own version of Pablo Hernandez.
Pablo Hernandez's Leeds career
The Spanish magician was a right-footed star who could play in the attacking midfield or wide right role in Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side that last won promotion from the Championship at Elland Road in the 2019/20 campaign.
Hernandez, who moved on from West Yorkshire in the summer of 2021, was a phenomenal performer in the second tier during his time with the club, and proved himself to be an excellent scorer and creator of goals from a number ten position.
The former Swansea and Valencia star played a pivotal role in the promotion to the Premier League under Bielsa, with his ability to make a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
39
36
Goals
12
9
Assists
12
9
Big chances created
16
13
Key passes per game
3.0
2.3
As you can see in the table above, Hernandez provided regular quality across those two Championship seasons with the Argentine head coach in charge.
His return of 21 goals and 21 assists in that time speaks to the consistency he brought to the team in the final third, with his magic helping
the Whites to eventually win the title in the 2019/20 season.
Farke could, now, unearth his own version of Hernandez to win the Championship title for Leeds this term by swooping to sign Tresor from Burnley in the January transfer window.
Why Mike Tresor could be Pablo Hernandez 2.0
It is fair to say that the 25-year-old ace’s time with the Clarets has not gone as well as any party would have hoped when he made the move to Turf Moor last year.
Tresor, who joined on loan before signing permanently this year, made 16 appearances and started three times in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, failing to provide a single goal or assist for his side.
And, now, he has not made a single appearance in the league for Burnley this term, although it is unclear as to exactly why that has been the case.
Tresor is far from the first player to take time to adjust to English football, though. In fact, Hernandez scored just five goals in 57 Premier League games for Swansea before his spell at Elland Road.
The Belgian gem’s form for Genk, his former club, suggests that the potential is there for him to explode in the Championship, as the Spaniard did, if given an opportunity by Farke.
Starts
38
Goals
8
Big chances created
22
Key passes per game
2.8
Assists
24
As you can see in the table above, Tresor’s form in the 2022/23 campaign in the Pro League was unbelievable, as he recorded 32 goal contributions in 38 matches.
To put that into perspective, Leif Davis’ 18 assists led the league in the Championship last term and no player managed more than 11 in the 2022/23 season.
The 25-year-old whiz, whose form was described as “absolutely sensational” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the potential to be an outstanding player for Farke if the German coach can help him to get back to his best at the top end of the pitch.
Leeds signed "Pablo Hernandez’s successor" but then sold him for 10x less
Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta did not do his best work on this deal.
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Tresor, who can play as an attacking midfielder or off the left, could come in to bolster the club’s attack in the second half of the season, with his potential to provide goals and assists on a regular basis, but Leeds must, first, convince Burnley to part ways with him next month.
