Barnsley winger Marley Watkins is reportedly a summer target for Leeds United but hindsight shows the error of their ways.
As far as weekends go, they do not get much worse than Leeds United’s. After five months in the play-off positions, Garry Monk’s side appear to have run out of steam at the worst possible moment.
A dour defeat to relegation threatened Burton Albion on Saturday, coupled with victories for Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham, means the Whites are now three points adrift of sixth place with just three games remaining.
Suddenly, Leeds’ January transfer activity comes under severe scrutiny. The Whites were linked with a plethora of names in the mid-season window but were forced to wait until the final day to sign Modou Barrow and Alfonso Pedraza on loan from Swansea and Villarreal.
The former has started just once so far with his impact non-existent while 21-year-old Pedraza, although displaying plenty of quality, had spent the first half of the season with Spanish second division side Lugo. Therefore, it may have been a little naive to expect him to play an influential role in Leeds’ promotion bid.
This, coupled with Pablo Hernandez’s sudden fall from grace, means a lack of cutting edge in the final third has cost Leeds dear. In Saturday’s 2-1 loss at the Pirelli, Leeds mustered just two shots on target.
The Daily Mail claims that the Whites are now planning a summer move for Barnsley’s ten-goal attacker Marley Watkins but, in truth, it could be too little, too late.
The 26-year-old handed in a transfer request late in the January window, as reported by Sky Sports, and hindsight shows that Leeds should have pulled out all the stops to bring him to Elland Road.
With seven assists added to his 10 league strikers, Watkins would have added much-needed creativity in the final third while compensating for Hernandez’s loss of form.
Signing him in the summer may address the problem but, by then, Leeds’ dream of a Premier League return may already be over.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
