Leeds: Farke could forget about Wober with Mason Holgate
An update has emerged on Leeds United’s efforts to bolster their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…
What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Whites have made an enquiry over Everton central defender Mason Holgate as they pursue a deal to sign him during the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Sheffield United and Southampton have also made contact with Sean Dyche’s side in order to gauge how much it would take for the Toffees to sanction a move.
It states that the manager has told the former West Bromwich Albion loanee that he is free to leave but his £72k-per-week wages could limit his options unless the Premier League team are willing to continue paying a percentage of it.
Where can Mason Holgate play?
The 26-year-old enforcer is an extremely versatile defender who has proven himself capable of playing in any position across the back four, as well as in a defensive midfield role.
His flexibility to be deployed in either a full-back spot or in the heart of the defence would make him a useful player for head coach Daniel Farke, who could then forget about the possible departure of Max Wober.
Despite having only been signed in January for £10m from Red Bull Salzburg, it has been reported that the Austria international is set to complete a move to German side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan.
The 25-year-old ace, like Holgate, is a versatile player who has played at left-back, centre-back, or in a no.6 position, although both players predominantly play at the heart of the backline.
Therefore, Farke could forget about the blow of losing, if the move goes through as reported, Wober by bringing in another gem who can cover across multiple positions to alleviate any injury or suspension issues when needed.
Holgate, who was once hailed as a “leader” by the Liverpool ECHO’s Sam Carroll, is also a player with the potential to be an excellent signing for Leeds due to his quality.
The English brute has endured a couple of disappointing top-flight seasons with Everton, as he has failed to average a Sofascore rating higher than 6.65, but his form prior to that was impressive.
During the 2020/21 campaign, he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 across 28 Premier League games, and that came after a superb rating of 7.01 over 27 matches throughout the previous season, in which he demonstrated his dominant defending with a ground duel success rate of 69%.
The latter score would have left him top of the Whites team during the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be an outstanding performer for the club.
Wober, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.84 in 16 league outings for Leeds last term, which placed him third within the squad of players with at least one start and won 51% of his battles on the ground.
Therefore, Holgate could replace the Austrian titan both in terms of quality and versatility if Farke can use his coaching skills to get the Everton man back to his best, which could be aided by a drop down to the Championship to play a lower standard of football.
