Leeds have unquestionable summer transfer need despite failed Farke experiment

Leeds did not play a traditional number 10 role for much of the season, morphing from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2 to 3-4-2-1 as the campaign progressed. Whether by design or natural course, United managed to survive the drop with three games to go without needing to rely on the position.

Of course, in the 3-4-2-1 formation, two wide no.10 roles were deployed but these were more half-winger support acts than direct central feeders to the striker. Leeds did end the season with two natural number 10s.

However, none came. Facundo Buonanotte was chased but then dipped for Chelsea and Harry Wilson - more of a winger-cum-10 than vice versa anyway - was snatched from them when Fulham pulled the plug late on deadline day.

Eventually, Farke did get Buonanotte in January, who became the second number 10 option. But his move was a failure, starting just one FA Cup game and making just three league appearances from the bench. Oftentimes he was left out of the matchday squad entirely.

Anton Stach played well whenever pushed forward, yet Farke sees him as more of an eight and understandably so given his ball retrieval skills and body usage. Also, Farke prefers the type of profile of player who can also play on the wing - which is certainly not Stach’s forte.

Such a versatile no.10 can work in whichever system Farke wishes to deploy next season. If it’s a 3-4-2-1 system, then he can play as a wide 10.

If it is 4-3-3, he is a wing option. If it is to be a 4-2-3-1 formation, then clearly he fits into the traditional number 10 slot. Having flexibility was important last season and will be next.

While the hunt for a number 10 seems clear, how Leeds go about it is less so. The new Squad Cost Ratio [SCR] rules that are set to come in will leave United with marginally tighter spending limits in the short-term, so the club may wish to look at their sale options.

Paraag Marathe has underlined that there will be sales, not just due to SCR but also to make room for the new higher-quality talents set to be acquired. Aaronson has a year left on his contract and can therefore speak to overseas clubs from January if a renewal is not agreed.

That said, Aaronson is a favourite of Farke’s, and nobody doubts his work ethic and ground coverage. He played an important role in Leeds staying up and was valuable for a newly-promoted side.

Leeds, though, need to grow, whether he is at the club or not. Maybe post-World Cup, there is less of an appetite for the player to move on as there might have been if the finals were a year later - not that there is any anyway.

Aaronson felt he elevated his standards last season, and he sees the Premier League as the best league in the world. Yet most outsiders agree Leeds need to upgrade, and it is not impossible that it comes at a personal cost.

The likelihood is he gets kept on and then Leeds have a tough renewal decision to make. Much easier is the decision to twist on a new number 10 than stick with what they have got - which is not much besides Aaronson.

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