Leeds United dropped down to the Championship earlier this year after three seasons in the Premier League and are now tasked with bouncing back at the first attempt.
German head coach Daniel Farke was brought in to lead the charge, having won two league titles at this level with Norwich, and was backed with a number of signings during the summer transfer window.
The Whites brought in the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Sam Byram, among others, to bolster their squad and splashed the cash to improve their attack with the signing of Joel Piroe from Swansea.
Joel Piroe (2023/24) | Championship performance (via Sofascore) |
|---|---|
Appearances | 11 |
Goals | Five |
Chances created | Six |
Pass accuracy | 78% |
Leeds reportedly paid more than £10m to sign the Dutch marksman from their Championship rivals and he has had a strong start to the campaign, as shown in the table above.
He has scored three more league goals than any of his teammates and his form comes off the back of an impressive return of 19 goals in 43 second division outings for the Swans during the 2022/23 season.
However, the window could have gone differently if the club had brought in one of the targets they reportedly had earlier in the summer – Sory Kaba.
Were Leeds interested in Sory Kaba?
Football League World reported that the Whites had been sending scouts to watch the FC Midtjylland number nine in action for Cardiff City on loan during the 2022/23 campaign.
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath claimed that fellow Championship side Watford were also keen on the centre-forward, who was available for a fee of £2m.
He eventually signed for Las Palmas in a deal that AS reported to be more than €2m (£1.7m), which suggests that the £2m price tag touted by McGrath was an accurate one.
Kaba attracted interest after a fairly prolific spell with Cardiff on loan last term as the towering striker produced eight goals and one assist in 17 Championship games for the Welsh outfit.
However, he only completed 54% of his attempted passes and made 0.6 key passes per game, with two ‘big chances’ created in total, as the Midtjylland loanee struggled to offer much in general play away from his goals.
His form for Cardiff came after a frustrating first half of the campaign with his parent club. Kaba scored four goals and provided five assists in 27 matches in all competitions, which included two goals in 16 league games in the Danish top-flight.
How many goals has Kaba scored for Las Palmas?
It has turned out that Leeds dodged a bullet with the 28-year-old flop as he has failed to score a single goal in seven league matches for the Spanish side this season and is now even worse than Georginio Rutter in front of goal.
His general play has been an issue for the attacker with Las Palmas this season as the goals have dried up, with zero for the club so far, and he has only made 0.6 key passes per outing and created zero ‘big chances’, as per Sofascore.
This shows that the experienced forward, who had scored 27 goals in 110 games in all competitions for Midtjylland, has offered very little in the way of creativity or build-up play for his team.
He has also struggled in front of goal with three ‘big chances’ missed and zero league goals from an xG of 1.13, which shows that the attacker has been wasteful with the opportunities that have fallen his way.
His poor form has earned him a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.50 and this is the 23rd-highest score within their squad, whilst it would also place him 23rd in the Leeds side.
How many goals has Rutter scored this season?
Rutter, on the other hand, has scored two goals in ten Championship games for Leeds as part of an attacking pairing with the aforementioned Piroe, who was signed from Swansea.
The French dynamo had failed to score in 11 Premier League matches for the club last season but has stepped up to offer a significant threat at the top end of the pitch in the second tier.
His goalscoring record is not prolific, yet, but his creativity has been outstanding from a number nine position. Rutter has created a whopping ten ‘big chances’ and made 2.6 key passes per game for his teammates this term, along with a pass completion rate of 69%.
The 21-year-old ace has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.18, which is the seventh-highest score within the squad, and this shows that he has stepped up to be a fantastic option for Farke.
Rutter’s all-round play is far better than Kaba’s in terms of the reliability in possession that he provides alongside his exceptional ability to split open the opposition’s defence on a regular basis.
Should Leeds have signed Kaba?
Kaba’s statistics for Cardiff last term and Las Palmas this season do not suggest that he would have been able to make the level of impact that the former Hoffenheim man has made on the pitch for Farke’s side.
The Guinea international had a rich vein of scoring form with the Welsh team at Championship level but did not show enough in possession alongside his goals and those issues have resurfaced, without the goals to make up for it, in Spain.
Rutter may not be a prolific scorer, as shown by his two goals in ten league matches so far, but he is able to make up for his struggles in that area with his fantastic play on the ball in the build-up.
The 21-year-old maestro is an outstanding talent when it comes to creating chances on a regular basis and he has caught the eye alongside Piroe with a string of terrific displays for Leeds in the Championship.
Therefore, Farke and the club dodged a bullet by avoiding a deal to sign Kaba for £2m during the summer transfer window as his statistics suggest that it would have been a big blunder.
He is not a better option than Piroe or Rutter for one of the two central attacking positions in the manager’s 4-2-3-1 system and fans should, therefore, be thankful that Leeds did not bring him in on a permanent basis.
