Leeds United need a goalkeeper, but will they get one? At the moment, it seems unlikely.
There’s 13 full days left in the January transfer window and Leeds United continue to do business. Director of Football Victor Orta has signed up four players to permament deals this month already and, if rumours are anything to go by, then there will be more arrivals.
What could and should worry Leeds fans, however, is the lack of speculation involving a goalkeeper. No transfer links to a keeper suggests that one isn’t on the wishlist, but if the first six months of this season has proven anything it’s that Felix Wiedwald and Andy Lonergan aren’t good enough.
Orta drafted in Wiedwald and Lonergan last summer but you’ll do well to find a Leeds supporter who completely trusts both of them, let alone one of them. The reason for this is because, well, neither have made the most of their chances at Elland Road this season.
Wiedwald endured a shaky start to life in West Yorkshire following a £500,000 move from Werder Bremen. Some fans will disagree and point to the fact that he went 636 minutes without conceding a Championship goal, but such an impressive record was probably more a reflection on the four men in front of him during that excellent run.
The German put together a few error-strewn performances after that, before being replaced by Lonergan, but he swiftly found himself back on the bench after he too failed to grasp the chance – and the ball at times – with both hands.
Wiedwald hasn’t done a great deal wrong since, but you get the impression that another mistake is never far away and the back four can’t fully trust him, which is a problem.
Leeds are seventh in the Championship and they really need to get their promotion bid back on track, but you wonder if failing to sign a top-drawer keeper will ultimately cost them. It already has to some extent.
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