Leeds United have a break from Championship action this weekend as they prepare to host Harrogate Town at Elland Road in the third round of the FA Cup.
The Whites have an opportunity to hand chances to some of the fringe players in the group, to see if any of them can give Daniel Farke a selection headache ahead of the upcoming league matches.
Karl Darlow, after Illan Meslier’s mistakes against Hull City last time out, as seen in the highlights below, will get a game to showcase his ability between the sticks.
The former Newcastle United goalkeeper will be keen to show that he has what it takes to step up in the Championship, if Farke decides to make a change between the sticks.
Mateo Joseph, with Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe missing through injury, could also get an opportunity to lead the line from the start against the League Two side.
A big performance from the Spain U21 international could be needed, amid talk that Leeds are interested in adding another number nine to their squad during the January transfer window, which opened for business last week.
Leeds eyeing striker deal
According to Sky Sports journalist Ben Heckner, the Whites are pursuing a deal to sign Hoffenheim centre-forward Mergim Berisha to bolster their attacking options for the second half of the season.
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The reporter claims that Leeds and German side Werder Bremen are both interested in the former Germany international, which means that the Championship outfit may need to fight to secure his services before the end of the transfer window.
He adds that any deal could be structured in a way that would see the striker move to Elland Road on an 18-month loan deal, with an option to make the move permanent in the summer of 2026.
That would provide Leeds, or Werder Bremen, with a chance to run the rule over Berisha for the best part of two seasons before deciding whether or not they want to keep him in the long-term.
However, there is no mention of how much money Hoffenheim are set to demand for the permanent option, or how much they would want as a loan fee for the initial 18 months, which means that it is hard to gauge how viable a deal is, financially, for the Whites at this moment in time.
It is a move, however, that could make a lot of sense for Leeds and it would be one that would allow them to finally wave bye-bye to Joe Gelhardt, who has been linked with an exit from West Yorkshire this month.
Why it could be the end for Joe Gelhardt
Speaking ahead of the clash with Harrogate, Farke made it clear that Gelhardt is free to speak with other clubs but that he has not made a final decision on whether or not the forward will be allowed to leave in the current window.
With Bamford and Piroe out injured, Joseph and the English attacker are the only two senior centre-forward options for the German head coach for this weekend, which may be why he is slightly hesitant to sanction a transfer at this moment in time.
However, bringing in a seasoned number nine like Berisha would provide the former Norwich City boss with another quality option in that position, allowing him to send Gelhardt on his way without worrying about what it would do to the strength of his squad depth.
Championship strugglers Hull City are one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing the 22-year-old dud, who has been unable to force his way into Farke’s plans over the past 18 months or so.
Appearances
10
2
Minutes
205
9
Goals
0
0
Big chances created
0
0
Assists
0
0
As you can see in the table above, Gelhardt has rarely been used by the Leeds manager and has made little-to-no impact on the pitch in the limited time he has had, with zero goals, zero assists, and zero ‘big chances’ created.
Therefore, it would appear to be best for all parties involved to wave bye-bye to the former Wigan man, either permanently or on loan, this month, and signing Berisha may be their way to do that.
What Mergim Berisha could bring to Leeds
As well as the requisite squad depth to be able to part ways with Gelhardt, the German centre-forward could be an excellent addition to the squad for a number of reasons.
At the age of 26, Berisha is a reasonably experienced forward, who has played in the Bundesliga and for Germany at international level, and could come in as a fantastic mentor to Joseph, 21, to help him continue his development and fulfill his potential.
It would be a bit of a gamble for Leeds, though, as the forward has struggled for game time since suffering an ACL injury in November 2023 that kept him out for 251 days.
Berisha, who has been described as being a “clinical finisher” by analysts Football Chatters, has previously showcased his quality at the top level in German, however, prior to that long injury lay-off.
Appearances
23
xG
8.13
Goals
9
Conversion rate
16%
Big chances missed
5
Assists
4
As you can see in the table above, the striker caught the eye in the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign for his former club Augsburg, with 13 direct goal contributions in 23 matches.
Ahead of that season, in the summer of 2022, it was reported that Jesse Marsch – the Leeds manager at the time – bid to bring him to Elland Road to bolster his forward options at the time, as the gem had scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 28 league games for RB Salzburg in the 2020/21 campaign under him.
Ultimately, the American boss was unable to secure a deal for his former star in Austria, but it could be second time lucky for the Whites this month.
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Whilst it would be a gamble, as Berisha has one goal and one assist in 11 Bundesliga games this term, signing the German ace on an initial 18-month loan could be a shrewd piece of business and one that allows Fake to wave bye-bye to Gelhardt.
