Leeds United have two left-backs in their sights as things stand, with Burnley’s Charlie Taylor joined by released Swansea City man Ryan Manning on the shortlist.
Leeds’ defence needs a big turnaround this summer after the performances in 22/23, and plenty of those are likely to be shifted out.
In terms of incomings, the club look to be getting on with things to replace those leaving, as The Athletic’s Phil Hay reveals two key targets playing in the Championship last season.
First up is Burnley’s Charlie Taylor, with the 29-year-old obviously very familiar with Elland Road having graduated from the Leeds academy before becoming a crucial player here.
The other target is released Swansea City man Ryan Manning, who is available for free after his contract expired in South Wales.
Here, we look at two reasons why Leeds need to be pursuing Manning over Taylor this summer…
Age is key
Manning is in his peak years as a footballer at 27, having only just seen his birthday too, meaning he has almost three years on Taylor who will be 30 in September.
When signing players to rebuild a side, the club have to consider the long-term nature of their investments, knowing some will need replacing before long.
Taylor would definitely do a job for Leeds next season if he’s the man the club land on, but he’d not only need replacing in the Premier League if we went up, but he would after a couple years anyway.
As for Manning, he’s readymade for Farke’s system as an attacking full-back, and would be more than worth a chance in the Premier League too.
Who is actually better for us?
It’s very easy and safe to say “oh well Taylor knows the club, he’d fit right in”.
However, Taylor’s time at Burnley has seen him revert deeper and deeper from the marauding, powerful left-back we had under Garry Monk.
In fact, he played most of last season as a left-sided centre-back under Vincent Kompany, while Manning was an attacking player in a ball-dominant side at Swansea.
Under Farke, the Taylor that Leeds previously had would have been perfect, but that isn’t the case, and now Manning looks a much better option for us with his energy.
