Two Left-backs Who Leeds United Can Target To Replace Charlie Taylor
Leeds United are set to lose their left-back Charlie Taylor after they failed to qualify for the EFL Championship playoffs to earn a promotion to the Premier League.
The 23-year old is in the final two months of his contract with the Whites and according to a tweet from journalist Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post, the failure to go up means that the full-back will not consider a new contract amidst interest from Liverpool.
Taylor was one of the most consistent players for Garry Monk’s side in the early parts of the season and that was the case until the final few weeks where the former Swansea City manager preferred to use Gaetano Berardi. The 23-year old Englishman has made a total of 32 appearances this season, with 29 of them coming in the Championship. He has chipped in with 4 assists.
However, Leeds look resigned to losing him in the summer and will be looking to bring in fresh talent to replace the outgoing 23-year old. And here are two left-back options that Monk could consider to sign ahead of the next season:
Matt Doherty
The Wolverhampton Wanderers left-back has been one of the best in his position in the Championship this season and was probably unlucky to have been overlooked for the Championship Team of the Year.
Doherty has played 47 games across all competitions this season for the Wolves, and in the process has scored 5 times and also set up 7 goals, highlighting his attacking prowess upfield. He is equally strong in his defensive duties and offers a reliable presence in the backline. Add to that, his ability to slot in at right-back with equal comfort as his natural left-hand side makes him a nice prospect to have in the ranks.
Good in attack, durable in defence and just 25-years old, the Irishman will be an excellent addition to the Leeds’ rearguard. However, with his contract at Wolves running till the summer of 2019, it might prove to be hard to convince the club to sell him.
Stephen Kingsley
Monk has shown that he is willing to raid his former club Swansea City, having brought in the likes of Kyle Bartley, Modou Barrow and Matt Grimes on loan this season. While none of them having impressed, except for Bartley, the manager might look at the young Stephen Kingsley to solve his left-back woes next season.
The 22-year old Scot has made just 13 senior appearances this season and is below January signing Martin Olsson in the pecking order at the moment under Paul Clement. A good dribbler and a crosser of the ball, Kingsley has quite a few aspects about his game that would make him a smart addition for the Whites. Considering his young age, there is plenty of scope for development.
He has a contract until 2020 with the Welsh outfit, but with the threat of relegation looming large for the Swans, it shouldn’t prove to be too hard to convince the player to move to the Elland Road as he would not be seeing it as a step down from the Premier League.
