BREAKING NEWS: Leeds United’s interest in Man United defender Brandon Williams

Leeds United are interested in a deal for Brandon Williams and a move to Elland Road could be a perfect destination.

•  Leeds United are expected to be active in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, as they aim to strengthen their squad for the Championship season.
•  One player of interest to Leeds is Manchester United defender Brandon Williams, who has previously worked with manager Daniel Farke.
•  Williams has struggled for game time at Old Trafford and a move to Leeds could provide him with the opportunity to play regular football and showcase his quality.

Leeds United will be expected to be one of the busiest sides in the Championship in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.

The window closes on the 1st of September, and it seems Daniel Farke is still eager to add several players to his squad.

The club has been surprisingly quiet so far, with only two players coming through the door as of the middle of last week, Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.

But, as the Championship season gets underway, it is bound to get busier with arrivals at Elland Road. The Yorkshire side have already lost several key first-team players, and more are expected to leave, which puts pressure on the hierarchy to get signings through the door.

One player that seems of interest to Leeds is Manchester United defender Brandon Williams, someone who is known to Daniel Farke.

Rivalry aside, Leeds United could be the perfect destination for Man United man: Opinion

eeds are said to be interested in signing Man United defender Brandon Williams, as reported by journalist Miguel Delaney.

Farke knows his squad still needs strengthening in the final month of the transfer window and is said to be eyeing a move for a player he has previously worked with.

Williams played for Farke at Norwich City in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, and it seems he is keen to work with him once again.

The 22-year-old found himself down the pecking order at Old Trafford, as last season he only played five minutes in the first team, and that was a cameo in the EFL Cup.

The defender has enjoyed quite a successful pre-season so far with United, but it seems he is still a player that the Premier League side are willing to listen to offers for, as they grapple with financial fair play rules.

Why could Leeds United be the best destination for Brandon Williams?

Of course, Leeds and Man United are arch-rivals, and it is very rare that you see the two football clubs doing transfer business together, but in this case, it could work for all parties involved.

Many people at Old Trafford thought Williams was going to be the next big star to break through their academy, and while he has done well when given opportunities, they have not come around a lot, and it seems a move away is the best scenario for the player.

It has been reported in the past that Man United could be looking for around £10 million for Williams and while it is unclear if Leeds would be willing to go that far, he is a good option for the club to consider.

Obviously, Farke is aware of Williams having worked with him before, and you would presume that benefits the manager and player. Williams has never played in the Championship, but he has shown in Man United’s first team and during his time at Norwich that he has enormous quality; it is just about having the opportunities to show that.

The defender’s best season for appearances was at Norwich, where Williams showed his defensive qualities. He averaged 2.1 tackles per game, while also claiming 1.7 interceptions and, alongside that, he managed 1.7 clearances, as per WhoScored.com.

Coming through the academy at Man United, Williams developed in that structure that he can be comfortable with the ball at his feet. This was shown at Norwich, as he averaged 35.9 passes, with 0.8 being key passes. He had an overall success rate of 81.8%, as per WhoScored.com.

While surprisingly, despite playing for a team that struggled in the Premier League, Williams also showed his attacking threat, averaging 0.2 shots per game with 8.8 dribbles coming from the full-back.

Williams seemed to play some of his best football in that season at Carrow Road, as he was given game time and the week-on-week opportunity to simply just play. That doesn’t seem like it is going to happen at Man United, so the player would be wise to move on.

Many may think Leeds isn’t the best destination purely because of the rivalry and the politics that always go with that, but it allows the player to go and play for a big football club where he will be under pressure to succeed, something Williams is used to. In addition to that, he would play for a manager who knows and trusts him.

That’s all whilst Leeds are not all that gifted in the full-back areas, as some players’ futures are up in the air and others like Luke Ayling, it could be argued, are past their best. So, Williams, who has plenty of versatility to offer, could really be of benefit at Leeds, playing week in, week out in the Championship before, hopefully, returning to the Premier League and showcasing his quality once again.

Latest Ipswich Town news: Walton blow confirmed, club legend retires, move plotted for former Man United defender

The 2023/24 dawns as Ipswich Town continue their preparations for the season ahead.

Three years of mid-table frustration was mercifully brought to an end last season, Kieran McKenna guiding his side to automatic promotion in a hotly-contested bid for the top two spots.

A 96-point finish was just about enough to clinch second place, beating Sheffield Wednesday in the race to avoid the dreaded play-off drama.

Now, the only way is seemingly up for Ipswich, the Portman Road faithful hopeful of another blockbuster campaign – which ideally avoids a relegation battle.

The Suffolk-based club have opted against wholesale changes to the team which got them promoted while the return of George Hirst on a permanent deal is a welcomed decision.

The former Manchester United coach has favoured a younger approach. Cieran Slicker joins from Manchester City to bolster the goalkeeping department while Omari Hutchinson hopes to add some flair and creativity during his season-long loan from Chelsea.

Ipswich will be hoping to now follow in a similar path to Sunderland of last season, making the most of the promotion momentum in hopes of catapulting themselves into the play-off debate with a spot in the Premier League on the line – a division which Portman Road has missed for more than 20 years.

What has happened to Luke Chambers?

A staple of Ipswich’s identity during the 2010s era, long-serving defender Luke Chambers has retired. The former captain played just shy of 400 times for the club after joining the club from Nottingham Forest in 2012.

He went on to win the Player of the Year award in the 2018-19 season despite relegation and continued to ply his trade for the side in League One before a final venture with League Two outfit Colchester United, where he made 86 appearances in their quest for mid-table security.

A total of 871 appearances across all four clubs – including Northampton Town – the 37-year-old ranks seventh in the all-time EFL appearance leaderboards.

Ipswich eye up Tuanzebe move

Ipswich Town look to strengthen their defensive options as they plot a move for former Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, according to TEAMtalk.

The 25-year-old represented the Red Devils 19 times in the top-flight while enjoying various Champions League outings since coming through the ranks at Old Trafford.

With game time limited, the former England youth international experienced three different loan spells with Aston Villa at both Premier League and Championship level, playing 25 times for the Second City club on their way to play-off glory in the 2018-19 season.

More recent spells, however, have proved less productive, making just one league appearance for Italian giants Napoli before playing four games for Stoke City earlier this year.

Now a free agent, the chance to play under McKenna could potentially sway Tuanzebe to take the plunge and earn regular game time for a side on the rise.

Who will be in goal for Ipswich on Saturday?

An injury to Christian Walton means McKenna has a big decision to make ahead of their trip to Ipswich.

Originally reported by Alan Nixon, the club announced the player will be sidelined for “quite a while” due to a plantar fascia injury.

The 27-year-old was in goal for all League One outings last campaign, boasting 22 clean sheets and the best defensive record in the division.

This could mean an extended run at the number one spot for either long-standing deputy Václav Hladký or 20-year-old Cieran Slicker, unless McKenna looks to make a move for another goalkeeper later this window.