3 Premier League Strugglers Leeds United Should Target To Get Back In The Premier League

Promotion-chasing Leeds United are comfortably holding on to one of the playoff spots following 27 rounds of Championship games, and they would need to keep up with the demands of the campaign run-in for the next 4 months.

It’s not the first time the Whites have come close to securing Premier League promotion only to eventually fall short towards the tail end of the campaign. However, the winter transfer window presents them an opportunity to solidify their squad for the second most crucial part of the season.

Landing quality Premier League players who have struggled to get first team football can help Leeds maintain a playoff spot until the end of the season, and here are 3 of such players who could contribute immensely to their promotion dreams.

Fraizer Campbell

The former Manchester United striker is yet to start a league game for Crystal Palace this season, with all his 8 appearances coming off the bench.

He has one goal thus far, and won’t be making Allardyce’s starting XI anytime soon as Benteke remains Palace’s main man upfront.

The Eagles finally slipped down to the relegation zone last weekend having lost 14 games and won just 4 times in the EPL this season, and Campbell might be more useful trying to help Leeds with promotion than trying to help Palace prevent relegation.

With 9 seasons of playing both Championship and Premiership football, Campbell would be a good fit for a Leeds attack that can do with another goalscorer.

Marcin Wasilewski

Much has been said about Leeds lack of quality defensive backups and to a large extent, lack of stiff competition for playing time at the back.

In an experienced and Championship veteran like the Polish centre-half, Leeds can add a quality defender to their ranks as they push for promotion.

They have leaked 27 goals thus far – an average of 1 per game, and while that isn’t too bad, it could be the difference between the 2nd place or 7th place finish at the end of the campaign.

Wasilewski, 36, has appeared just once in the Premier League this term, and could still cherish the competition that comes with vying for promotion having played 31 Championship games as Leicester City ran out winners of the Football League Championship in 2013-14.

George Honeyman

The English midfielder is one of Sunderland’s youth academy products having arrived in Wearside since 10, but he didn’t get to make his senior team debut until last weekend during the Black Cats 2-0 defeat at the hands of West Brom.

While the players were generally below par, Honeyman was the liveliest as he tried to make things happen in the middle of the park anytime he had the ball in his possession.

The 22-year-old came off the bench only twice in 2015 and 2016, while he has been an unused substitute 9 times this year, but while his last performance showed a player with hunger, he sure is bound to return to the bench when N’dong returns for the next clash.

Such zeal could be put to better use elsewhere as Sunderland look all but lost and relegation-bound right now. He was on loan at the National League last season, making 9 appearances for Gateshead, and Leeds United could do with such player confident enough to barge another team-mate off the ball in the centre of the park, take up possession, responsibility and decide to press forward with the scores at 2-nil.