Could Leeds return for Nick Powell in January?

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Leeds United were reportedly interested in signing Nick Powell during the summer.

It was reported by TEAMtalk in August that Leeds were one of the sides interested in signing Wigan Athletic’s £5 million-rated talisman Nick Powell during the final days of the transfer window.

Of course, Powell would end the summer as a Wigan player. But with his contract expiring this summer, there is no question that speculation is going to linger for several months. And given his start to the new Championship season, it would be no surprise if he had a number of offers put in front of him before the campaign concludes.

And Leeds should be one of the sides to keep the attacking midfielder on their radar. Marcelo Bielsa’s men have made a fantastic start to the campaign and currently top the second tier, but perhaps their recent form hints that they could go into January needing to add some additional quality.

When Samu Saiz, Gjanni Alioski and Pablo Hernandez are together in the team and in sync with one another, there is arguably no better attacking midfield trio in the division right now. And when you factor in that Leeds also have Jack Harrison, the Whites are already well stocked for options to play in the three behind the striker.

But injuries have already stretched Bielsa’s squad and there have been occasions more recently when those players have struggled to make an impact, so January could potentially prove to be a crucial month – especially after two seasons where not strengthening well in the winter has proved costly.

Izzy Brown coming into the side at some point could be a huge boost for the Whites. But with the forward returning from such a lengthy injury, it is still a gamble to completely trust that he is going to be the understudy that Saiz needs.

Powell meanwhile, has scored four goals and provided three assists. It is not uncommon for League One sides to go straight into the Championship promotion picture upon coming up, and Powell is threatening to catapult Wigan into that position.

His quality would make him a huge asset for any second tier squad, and his versatility should appeal to a coach like Bielsa who prefers smaller squads. He could not only provide competition for Saiz, but could perhaps fill in slightly wider if required or even lead the line up front.

Leeds’ slight dip in form in the last handful of games – which, admittedly, did include a stunning 3-0 victory – hints that January is going to be pivotal once again. And Powell could perhaps prove to be the kind of signing that helps ensure that the hurdles that tripped the Whites up last year are no issue this time around, so he will undoubtedly be worth monitoring over the coming months.