Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has revealed that central defender Jaka Bijol is set to be out for up to five weeks with a muscle injury, which is why he was not in the squad on Saturday.
Versatile full-back James Justin filled in for the Slovenia international by playing as the right-sided centre-back in the back three against Fulham, and helped the Whites to keep a clean sheet.
The former Leicester defender did, however, lose four of his six aerial duels in the game, per Sofascore, and better opponents may take advantage of his lack of height as a centre-back if he continues to play in that role.
That is why the Whites should look to bring in another central defender before the end of the January transfer window to provide Farke with more natural options in those positions, now that a 3-5-2 formation has become his favoured system.
Why Leeds may not sign Danihlo Doekhi
It had been reported that Leeds were leading the race to sign Union Berlin centre-back Danihlo Doekhi to bolster their squad this month, with his contract due to expire at the end of this season.
However, on Friday, journalist Graham Smyth stated that the club’s interest in Doekhi has not gone any further than the recruitment team having a look at him.
This suggests that the Whites will not be formalising their interest in the centre-back to add him to their squad in the coming weeks, despite an impressive haul of four goals in 18 Bundesliga matches this season.
Doekhi has never played in the Premier League before, though, and that may be why they are reluctant to bring him in midway through the season, as it could take him time to adjust to the division.
The centre-back Leeds should sign instead of Doekhi
Instead of taking a gamble on a player who may or may not be able to adapt to the Premier League, the Whites should move for a player who has already proven their quality in the English top-flight.
It was reported earlier this month that Leeds United are interested in a deal to sign Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi on loan until the end of the season, although there have not been any recent updates on that pursuit.
The France international – who cost the Blues a whopping £38m – is a proven Premier League performer who has shown signs of quality at Chelsea and Aston Villa, despite currently finding himself out of favour at Stamford Bridge, with no appearances in the division this season.
Disasi also has the very particular experience of joining a Premier League side midway through a campaign, as he signed for Villa on loan for the second half of last term.
This means that he can quickly adapt to a new club and would not be thrown off by a change in environment, which is another reason why he could be the perfect signing to come in and cover for Bijol, and then compete with him in the final few months of the season.
| Disasi (Premier League) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 31 | 13 |
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Pass accuracy | 91% | 90% |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Ground duel success rate | 62% | 52% |
| Aerial duel success rate | 69% | 62% |
| Error led to goal | 0 | 1 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, Disasi has only made one error that directly led to a goal in 44 appearances in the top-flight in England to date, which shows that he is not prone to major mistakes, even if he has failed to establish himself as a regular with Chelsea.
those seasons also back up talent scout Jacek Kulig’s claim that he is a “dominant” central defender, as he rarely allows opposition players to beat him in duels on the deck or in the air.
The experienced defender’s form for Villa and Chelsea in the past shows that he has the ability to hit the ground running as a reliable centre-back who will be able to cover for Bijol during his spell on the sidelines.
Overall, Disasi would make far more sense for Leeds than Doekhi because it would only be a loan, so they would not be committing to a long-term deal to clog up their options once Bijol is fit, and he has the Premier League experience that could allow him to be an instant success.
