Leeds now considering bid to sign “outstanding” upgrade on Sam Byram

Leeds United progressed through to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 win over League Two side Harrogate Town at Elland Road.

A second-half header from Largie Ramazani, who was assisted by a fine cross from Manor Solomon, secured the victory for the home side and booked them a place in the next round.

Their next match in the FA Cup is not until February and this means that the Whites can fully turn their attention back to the Championship and ensure that they do not let their place in the automatic promotion spots slip.

The West Yorkshire outfit are currently one point ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley in second and third in the Championship and this means that they do not much in the way of wiggle room at the top of the table.

Daniel Farke’s side take on Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich, and Burnley – all top-half teams – as part of a three-game week coming up and will need to be spot on to keep their place in the top two.

The January transfer window also provides Leeds with a chance to bolster their squad to give them a lift ahead of the upcoming matches, with the club reportedly eyeing a Championship star this week.

Leeds United eyeing Championship full-back

According to LeedsUnitedNews, versatile Plymouth Argyle full-back Bali Mumba has emerged as a target for the Championship leaders this month.

The report claims that the Whites have sent scouts to watch the former England youth international in action in the second tier this season, whilst they also had him watched in their 1-0 win over Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Mumba won nine of his 14 duels and was not dribbled past a single time to help his side keep a clean sheet against the Premier League side, which suggests that the Leeds scout may well have been impressed by what they saw.

The outlet adds that Leeds are now considering a bid to sign the 23-year-old star to bolster Farke’s options in the full-back positions ahead of the second half of the season.

Mumba is also a player the German head coach already knows well from their time together at Norwich City. Farke, who once described him as “outstanding”, signed the defender from Sunderland in the summer of 2020.

The English dynamo went on to play nine times in the first-team for the Canaries and made his Premier League debut in the 2021/22 campaign under the now-Leeds boss.

Ironically, Farke could sign Mumba this month to come in as an upgrade on another full-back he signed for Leeds after working with him at Carrow Road – Sam Byram.

Sam Byram’s performances for Leeds

The veteran defender returned to Elland Road in the summer of 2023 for a second spell in West Yorkshire and for a second stint working with the manager, who signed him for the Canaries from West Ham ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

His versatility has been particularly useful to the Whites over the past 18 months or so, due to his ability to play comfortably at right-back, centre-back, and left-back, which has allowed him to plug gaps across the backline when needed.

The 31-year-old played 33 times in the Championship during the regular season last term and contributed with two goals and one assist, whilst predominantly playing on the left side of the defence.

Byram has followed that up with 11 starts in 21 appearances in the second tier so far this season, which shows that he has still been an important member of the squad.

As you can see in the table above, the former Norwich man has not offered creativity from a full-back position and has been far from outstanding defensively, with less than two tackles and interceptions combined per game.

By securing a deal to bring Mumba to Elland Road from Plymouth this month, Farke could land an upgrade on Byram from a defensive and offensive perspective.

Why Leeds should sign Bali Mumba

Firstly, the 23-year-old whiz is eight years younger than Byram and this means that Leeds could sign him as a long-term investment, as well as a short-term upgrade for the team.

Farke, as he did during his time at Norwich, could look to develop Mumba and help him to fulfill his potential over the years to come to turn him into a valuable asset, whereas the current

His performances in the Championship this season for Plymouth already suggest that he could come in as a big upgrade on Byram from a defensive perspective, as shown in the table below.

The former Sunderland and Norwich starlet could offer more defensive protection, whilst – like Byram – being able to play at left-back or right-back to cover both flanks, by winning tackles and duels and making clearances and interceptions.

Mumba also has the potential to offer more at the top end of the pitch as part of a dominant team, which he has been unable to show in a struggling Plymouth team, and the current Leeds man has not provided much – as aforementioned – in that respect.

In their title-winning 2022/23 campaign in League One, the flying defender scored six goals and provided seven assists in 37 starts for the Pilgrims, which shows that he can be an attack-minded full-back who bursts forward to make an impact in the final third.

Therefore, Farke could unearth a big upgrade on Byram by signing Mumba and helping him to rediscover his attacking flair whilst keeping the defensive qualities that have caught the eye in his performances for Plymouth this season.

It is now down to the club to act upon their interest in the Championship star and to agree a deal to bring him to Elland Road before deadline day passes next month.