Leeds coach Daniel Farke has opened up about his desire to sign a full-back amid reports linking Manchester United’s Premier League misfit Brandon Williams with a cross-Pennines switch.
If Farke needs a full-back, then Brandon Williams feels like the sort of signing capable of killing two birds with one stone.
The Carrington graduate has played the majority of his 51 Manchester United games at left-back.
That is despite the fact that Williams – right-footed by nature – is arguably more comfortable on the opposite flank. Given that Leeds feel a little short in both areas with Rasmus Kristensen gone and Stuart Dallas still unavailable, Williams could be a potentially invaluable addition ahead of a gruelling Championship campaign.
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According to The Independent, the Manchester-born 22-year-old is up for sale this month; Erik ten Hag under pressure to raise funds in order to finance a deal for Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat.
But while Farke may relish the opportunity to reunite with a player of Williams’ potential, versatility and aggression, it remains to be seen how a dyed-in-the-wool, red-blooded Manchester United fanatic feels about making the cross-Pennine trip to his beloved club’s arch rivals.
“We’re working hard. We’re realistic and we need to strengthen in all areas,” Farke told Leeds Live ahead of Sunday’s Championship opener at home to Cardiff City.
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“We need a centre-half, full-back, midfielder, (and) power up front.”
Daniel Farke is a big Brandon Williams fan
Williams has featured for Ten Hag’s side in pre-season. Then again, so have the likes of Donny van de Beek; their inclusion on the club’s US tour perhaps more a reflection of the fact that Ten Hag has had something of a Frankenstein squad to work with, his key players making a staggered return from their post-season holidays.
Farke, meanwhile, knows Williams well from the defender’s loan spell at Norwich City in the 2021/22 season.
“Brandon is a young player full of potential,” Farke said following Williams’ arrival at Carrow Road. “He has already proven that he can perform on the top level and that he is capable of playing for Manchester United.
“He has many good skills and qualities.”