Leeds: Farke must reignite move for 5 ft 7 whiz who’d thrive with Rutter

Leeds United have made a fine start to life back in the Championship this season as they have made themselves play-off contenders so far.

The Whites are currently sitting in fifth-place and have only lost two league matches in 11 outings under German head coach Daniel Farke, who was brought in to replace Sam Allardyce over the summer.

A number of players were snapped up in order to bolster the ex-Norwich City boss' squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, following their relegation from the Premier League.

Jaidon Anthony, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, Djed Spence, Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, and Ethan Ampadu were all signed either on loan or on permanent deals.

Despite the side's strong start to the season, the upcoming January transfer window will provide Farke with an opportunity to improve his team again.

One player whom he must look to reignite his interest in is Genk ace Joseph Paintsil, who would thrive alongside Georgino Rutter if the talented whiz can adapt to English football.

Were Leeds interested in Joseph Paintsil?

The Athletic reported that Leeds made an offer of €10m (£8.7m) to sign the Ghana international during the summer transfer window.

It was stated at the time that the player's preference was a move to Elland Road after a transfer to Championship rivals Southampton had fallen through, due to Paintsil and Paul Onuachu – who was set to go the other way – opting against the switch.

However, the Whites were unable to get a deal over the line for the exciting forward and it has since been revealed, by the player, that it was due to reasons out of their control.

Paintsil claimed that he was not interested in a move to Southampton or Leeds as his dream is to play in the Premier League, or in one of the other major European leagues.

The £8.7m-rated whiz added that it was not about Farke's side being a 'bad' team but he could not be convinced to make the drop down to the Championship at that moment in time.

However, the German head coach could make a more convincing case to persuade the Genk star to join the Yorkshire-based outfit in January if his team are well in the race for promotion to the top-flight.

The player has confirmed that his dream is to play at the top level in England and Leeds could offer him a good chance to join a side that could be promoted to that level if they are in the play-off, or automatic, mix by the time that January comes around.

Why were Leeds interested in Paintsil?

Farke and the club may have been interested in a deal to sign the Ghana international due to his phenomenal form for Genk throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The 25-year-old winger showcased his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate in the Belgian top-flight and his statistics suggest that he could have been a superb addition to Leeds' squad.

Paintsil was a regular for his side over the course of the campaign as he made 36 league appearances and started 36 times, with an average of 81 minutes per outing, as per Sofascore.

The right-footed whiz was lethal in front of goal and proved himself to be a reliable option to chip in with goals at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.

He ended the Pro League season with a stunning 17 goals from out wide, with only six 'big chances' missed in total. Meanwhile, no Leeds player managed more than 13 league goals last term and no Whites ace has scored more than 17 in a season since Chris Wood in the 2016/17 term.

Paintsil also caught the eye with his ability to carve open the opposition's defence to create opportunities for his teammates. Farke's target created 12 'big chances' and assisted 11 goals in total throughout those 36 outings.

Whereas, no Leeds player produced more than seven assists over the course of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign and no Whites star has hit double figures for assists since Pablo Hernandez did (12) during the 2018/19 Championship season.

These statistics, which were described as "sensational" by Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast, suggest that the Genk magician has the quality to be a terrific forward for the club and he could thrive alongside Rutter if Farke can snap him up in January.

How has Rutter performed this season?

The French wizard has enjoyed a fantastic start to the campaign and has proven himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch at Championship level.

Rutter has contributed with two goals and three assists in nine league starts for the Whites so far this season and has been an exceptional creator for Farke.

The former Hoffenheim prospect has produced ten 'big chances' for his teammates and only been rewarded with three assists for his efforts.

As per FBRef, the 21-year-old maestro ranks within the top 6% of his positional peers at Championship level for xAG (0.49) and shot-creating actions (4.27) per 90.

This essentially means that there are not many players in his position who are able to create high-quality chances as frequently as Rutter.

However, there is work to do with his own finishing as the talented youngster has missed five 'big chances' to go along with his two goals, which suggests that he could be more ruthless in front of goal.

Should Leeds sign Paintsil?

Leeds should, therefore, reignite their interest in Paintsil during the January transfer window as his goalscoring record for Genk suggests that he would thrive alongside Rutter.

The 5 foot 7 talent has proven himself to be a prolific scorer from a wide position and rarely misses presentable opportunities at the top end of the pitch, as shown by his aforementioned statistics from last season.

Starts

Eight

Goals

Two

Assists

Three

Big chances created

Four

Paintsil's form this season (via Sofascore)

This suggests that the Whites target would be able to make the most of the chances that the French wizard is putting on a plate for his teammates week-in-week-out.

Paintsil's creative number also indicate that he could provide Rutter with the ammunition he needs to find the back of the net on a regular basis, if the ex-Bundesliga man can find his feet and form in front of goal during the second half of the season.