Leeds United arguably had the ideal opportunity to sure up their defensive options ahead of the Championship play-off race run in.
Leeds United manager Garry Monk
One of the concerns for Leeds fans regarding their side’s promotion hopes is the lack of depth in certain areas of the pitch. As well as having few options up front, Garry Monk also has a lack of centre-backs to pick from, which could prove costly during the final weeks of the Championship season.
According to the Argus, the Whites were interested in signing Norwegian defender Vegard Forren but faced competition from Aston Villa and Brighton.
But with the former Southampton man ultimately joining the latter until the end of the season (via BBC Sport), some may wonder whether Monk has missed an ideal chance to bolster his ranks ahead of a crucial few games for the Yorkshire side.
Forren may not be in the same category as Kyle Bartley and Pontus Jansson – he left the Saints months after joining without making a first-team appearance back in 2013 – but fans know that beyond the first-choice pair, there is a concern regarding the quality.
Liam Cooper has not managed to really put any pressure on Bartley and Jansson, while Leeds’ other senior option, Luke Ayling has done tremendously well at right-back, and therefore, should only be moved into the middle if completely necessary.
England’s Danny Welbeck (L) in action with Norway’s Vegard Forren
Forren signing a short-term deal at the Amex highlights that the Whites could have got away with just bringing him in for a brief period until they could really get their teeth into the market this summer.
Letting him move to a promotion rival may not hurt Leeds that much as it is unclear whether Chris Hughton deems him to be a first-team player during his time with the Seagulls, but not bolstering their own options may be a mistake on the Whites’ part ahead of what is set to be a massive 10 games for the Elland Road club.
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