Why Leeds United should beat West Brom in signature of Tyrone Mings
According to a report in Leeds Live, Championship leaders Leeds United are one of the clubs interested in signing Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings. The 25-year-old is set to leave the Vitality this month once the Cherries complete the deal to sign Brentford’s Chris Mepham.
Mings was an £8m signing for Eddie Howe’s men but has struggled for regular first-team football, partly because of the injuries. He has only made 20 appearances for them since joining in 2015.
As per the report, West Brom and Aston Villa are the other Championship hopefuls interested in signing the defender to cover their respective problems, with the former being the favourites. However, here’s why Leeds United should ward off the challenge of others to sign the 25-year-old:
To enhance the quality of the back-line in all respects
Leeds have struggled with injuries, especially in their back-line. Gaetano Berardi’s long-term absence means they are short on depth. He is back with the U23s now and would be in the picture to get back into the first-team soon.
They have Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson as the only centre-back options, with the latter picking up a red card in his previous game against Stoke City. Kalvin Phillips is an option to deputise but we know he is at his best in the defensive midfield.
At left-back, Barry Douglas has been the mainstay, however, his injury has forced the manager to play winger Ezgjan Alioski there. Hence, despite the fact that the injured players would be back soon, Marcelo Bielsa’s men cannot continue with a hope that players won’t get injured in the future.
Furthermore, having a quality back-up would only mean competition for places, aiding the players to be at their best whenever given the opportunity.
Thus, it makes sense for them to sign Tyrone Mings this month if they are to continue leading the chart in the Championship. The 25-year-old is a versatile defender who can play both as a centre-back and as a left-back. Therefore, he would be an option to challenge for a spot in both positions, which is pretty good for a team aiming to play Premier League football next season.
In terms of the playing system, Eddie Howe and Marcelo Bielsa are similar with respect to the fact that both like to play out from the back. Hence, the defenders are attuned to be good with the ball at their feet. So Mings shouldn’t take a lot of time to adjust to the philosophy of the latter at Elland Road. All in all, he would be a fantastic signing for the Peacocks.