Leeds could sign Rothwell upgrade who’s a “fabulous” Championship star

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will surely be delighted with the position his team is in after 16 matches in the Championship so far this season.

Despite some bumps along the way, with five draws and two defeats, the West Yorkshire outfit are currently top of the division on goal difference, ahead of Sheffield United and Sunderland.

This comes after the Whites came out on top in a crazy game in Wales on Sunday. They went from 2-1 down at half-time to lead 3-2 against Swansea, before the hosts scored an equaliser in the 90th minute of the match.

Substitute Wilfried Gnonto then stepped up to score the winner, making it 4-3, in the 91st minute, as his shot squirmed under the goalkeeper to find the back of the net.

Farke may have wanted a calmer route to three points in Wales but it got the job done and the German boss must ensure that his side now remains consistent and maintains a place in the automatic promotion spots, in order to avoid the play-offs.

The former Norwich tactician could look to the January transfer window to bolster his squad, and one player the club could land an upgrade on is Joe Rothwell.

Joe Rothwell’s performances this season

The English central midfielder was brought in on a season-long loan from Bournemouth during the summer transfer window to bolster the manager’s options in the middle of the park after Glen Kamara’s move to Rennes.

Rothwell, who helped Southampton to win promotion to the Premier League last season, came in as a depth option and has ended up being needed week-in-week-out after injuries to both Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

The 29-year-old dynamo has certainly not disgraced himself in midfield for Leeds, as he has helped the team to move to the top of the table whilst playing alongside Ao Tanaka.

However, the West Yorkshire outfit could, potentially, find another midfielder who can make a greater impact in and out of possession than the former Blackburn Rovers man.

As you can see in the table above, Rothwell has only been directly involved in one goal in 16 league games and rarely steps in to make interventions off the ball.

The experienced midfielder has provided a metronomic presence on the ball, completing 90% of his attempted passes, but Tanaka – for example – has completed 91% of his passes and made 3.5 tackles and interceptions combined per match.

Leeds could, therefore, use the January window to upgrade their depth and bring in an upgrade on Rothwell, amid a recent report linking the club with a swoop for a Championship star.

Leeds interested in Championship star

In a recent report from The Boot Room, it was claimed that Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Josh Brownhill from Burnley when the January transfer window opens for business.

His contract with the Clarets is due to expire at the end of the current season and this means that they could be forced to consider cashing in on him in January, as they would otherwise run the risk of him leaving for nothing in the summer.

This will not be an easy deal for the Whites to pull off, however, as it was reported that Premier League teams West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Fulham are also eyeing up the English maestro.

The Boot Room added that Torino, Lazio, and Fiorentina are also interested in the 28-year-old star and are prepared to offer him a contract, as they would be able to negotiate a pre-contract deal with him in January.

Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers are also keen on the former Bristol City star but it was claimed that they may not be able to compete with the wages that could be on offer from the other clubs in the race.

It will not be easy, given the competition for his signature, but Leeds must, now, push to secure a deal to bring Brownhill to Elland Road, as an upgrade on Rothwell, in January.

Firstly, the English ace is a proven Championship performer who can come in and hit the ground running, without needing a period of adaptation, as he is currently playing in the division.

Brownhill is also a player who has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League. He produced a return of four goals and two assists in 23 starts in the top-flight as Burnley were relegated last term, which suggests that the quality is there for him to make an impact in the final third as part of a better team.

This means that he could come in as an ideal signing for a team that is aiming for promotion to the Premier League, with his experience at the top two levels.

His form this season for the Clarets also suggests that he could come in as an immediate upgrade on Rothwell in the middle of the park for Farke, by offering more in and out of possession.

As you can see in the table above, Brownhill has offered more to his team as a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst also doing more to help his team out of possession from a defensive perspective.

These statistics suggest that the Burnley star, who was once hailed as a “fabulous” player by pundit Lee Hendrie, would come in and provide more quality on and off the ball in comparison to the current Leeds man, which is why he would be an upgrade.

That is why Leeds should now swoop to sign the 28-year-old ace, who scored seven goals and provided eight assists in the 2022/23 Championship season, when the January transfer window opens for business.