Leeds United completed their first signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday as Joe Rodon officially joined the club on a permanent deal.
The Wales international has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Elland Road and committed his future to the Whites after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
A fee of £10m has reportedly been paid for the towering central defender to ensure that the star titan remains in West Yorkshire for next season and beyond.
Academy graduate Archie Gray has, in a separate transaction, signed for Spurs for a fee in the region of £40m after just one season in the first team for Leeds, which has opened up a gap at right-back and in midfield within the squad.
The summer transfer window still has just under two months left to run and this means that Daniel Farke and his team have plenty of time to dip into the market to find players to plug those gaps.
Leeds United interest in English midfielder
Rodon may not be the only player Leeds sign from Tottenham Hotspur this summer as the Whites are reportedly keen on a deal to sign another talent from the Premier League side.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Farke wants to sign former England U21 international Oliver Skipp from the Lilywhites to bolster his options in midfield.
The report claims that the West Yorkshire outfit want to add him to the squad after signing Rodon from the North London team, particularly after Gray's departure.
It adds that Skipp is a big admirer of the German head coach, as they worked together during Norwich City's title success in the 2020/21 campaign, and that could give them an advantage in this transfer pursuit.
However, GIVEMESPORT reveals that the 23-year-old talent could also attract interest from the Premier League and may be hesitant to drop down to the Championship.
Spurs are also reluctant to allow him to move on from the club as Ange Postecoglou views him as a squad option who could be called upon next season, despite being behind the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Matarr Sarr, and potentially Gray now too.
It is now down to Farke and his team to work hard to convince Tottenham to part ways with the English maestro and then to persuade the player to drop down to the second tier to be a part of their attempt to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
If the ex-Canaries tactician can get a deal over the line for the right-footed metronome then he could come in as a fantastic partner for Ethan Ampadu.
Ethan Ampadu's debut season at Leeds in numbers
The Whites swooped to sign the defensive midfielder from Premier League side Chelsea on a permanent deal to anchor Farke's midfield last summer.
He started the campaign playing alongside the likes of Gray and Glen Kamara in the middle of the park but was eventually called upon at centre-back during the second half of the season due to Pascal Struijk's absence through injury.
Despite playing in different positions in either half of the term, the Welsh titan remained a consistent and impressive force in the spine of the team as they competed to secure promotion out of the Championship.
Appearances
46
Sofascore rating
7.24
Tackles and interceptions per game
2.9
Ball recoveries per game
6.9
Ground duel success rate
57%
Aerial duel success rate
63%
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old battler provided a fantastic defensive presence for Leeds throughout the campaign with his ability to make tackles, interceptions, and recoveries on a consistent basis.
He was also a monster in duels with opposition players, with a high success rate in physical contests both on the ground and in the air last term, which shows that the Welshman has the quality to dominate matches.
Struijk is due to be back from injury for pre-season and this suggests that he could return to the team alongside Rodon at the start of the campaign, which would then allow Ampadu to return to his favoured midfield role, potentially next to Skipp.
He could be a dream partner for the English midfielder as they are both defensive workhorses who can also provide progressive quality in possession.
Why Leeds should sign Oliver Skipp
Firstly, Ligue 1 side Rennes are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Kamara from the Whites and that would open up a starting spot next to Ampadu in midfield.
Secondly, Skipp is a young player, at the age of 23, with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and grow, which means that he could be brought in as an immediate starter whilst still having the potential to improve and increase in value moving forward.
The right-footed whiz has racked up 77 Premier League appearances for Spurs, and over 100 outings in all competitions for the club, and showcased his quality in and out of possession last term.
Skipp won 58% of his ground duels and completed an impressive 92% of his attempted passes across 21 appearances in the top-flight last term, which shows that he can dominate players on the deck and retain possession at a fantastic rate at the top level.
The former England youth international, who Farke once hailed as a "perfect" lad, is also a proven performer in the Championship who knows what it takes to earn promotion to the Premier League.
Pass accuracy
87.6%
88.1%
Progressive passes
4.86
5.15
Progressive carries
1.63
1.20
Tackles
2.33
1.52
Interceptions
1.17
1.39
As you can see in the table above, Skipp provided a progressive presence in the midfield as Norwich won the second division title with Farke at the helm that term.
His ability to win possession through tackles and interceptions coupled with his quality on the ball makes him a well-rounded midfielder who could star alongside Ampadu, as they are both dominant talents who could boss games for Leeds next season.
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Therefore, Skipp, who has already worked with the manager could hit the ground running, could be a fantastic signing for the club to make after their deal to bring Rodon back.