Leeds United have not quite kicked on as they would've liked after last season's flirt with relegation. The Whites secured survival by the skin of their teeth on the final day and will have been hoping to push on towards mid-table this term.
However, that has not quite materialised and at this stage, it appears as though another battle to beat the drop is on the cards. Leeds sit 15th in the table, just two points above the bottom three and are among a number of teams still at risk of being sucked into the fight.
Jesse Marsch's side is in desperate need of some reinforcements at both ends of the pitch in the January window. So, with that in mind, LeedsLive has taken a look at Leeds' current squad depth and which areas they should look to strengthen if they want to secure survival.
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Goalkeeper
Illan Meslier still very much remains Leeds' number one and given his age, could well be for many years to come. Leeds' goalkeeping options as a whole looks a lot stronger than this time 12 months ago, with Joel Robles providing both adequate cover and excellent experience to help those around him develop and maximise their potential.
Kristoffer Klaesson endured a shaky start to his career at Elland Road in the U23s but Robles' arrival will provide him with the necessary time to continue working on his game to ensure he is ready to step in when called upon in the coming years. Dani van den Heuvel is another of Leeds' young options between the sticks after he completed his recovery from a broken neck and jaw following a horrific car crash in the summer.
Right back
Right back is an interesting position for Leeds as they have three options who haven't really shown any sort of consistency in the last 12 months. Rasmus Kristensen - who joined in the summer - is Leeds' current first choice, and while he has started to adapt to the Premier League in recent weeks, still continues to get caught out of position regularly.
Rightly or wrongly, Luke Ayling appears to be next in the pecking order. Ayling is out of contract in the summer and it remains unclear whether he will be offered a new deal.
Finally, there is the curious case of Cody Drameh. Drameh clearly has a lot of potential but has never been given a proper chance at Leeds, despite opting to stay in the summer to fight for his place.
January is set to be a huge month for his future at Elland Road as Leeds reportedly fight to keep him at the club. But, at the end of the day, if he is not afforded game time, then there is little point in him sticking around much longer.
Centre back
Leeds have plenty of depth at centre back but surely the club must be asking whether their options in that position are good enough given the appalling defensive record over the last two-and-a-half seasons. Robin Koch and Liam Cooper are currently Leeds' first choice partnership which has had varying degrees of success so far.
Koch has been Leeds' best performer in that position but along with Cooper is out of contract in 2024, meaning a big decision is on the horizon for both club and players. Diego Llorente, meanwhile, has been out of the side in all but one match since his horror show at Brentford in September, but signed a new deal until 2026 on Friday.
Pascal Struijk is Leeds' other first team option at centre back but has been required to fill in at left back all season. He also penned fresh terms earlier this month and is both the present and future for Leeds, but needs moving back to his position as soon as possible. Youngster Leo Hjelde is another option and has looked promising in his EFL Cup appearances this term.
Left back
With just one recognised option across both the first team and U21s, this is Leeds' problem position. It is unforgivable that the club have allowed it to get to this situation and surely it will be addressed in the upcoming transfer window.
Junior Firpo is that man but he has struggled with both form and injuries in his 18 months at the club. He has started just once this season with the aforementioned Struijk having made that position his own.
Centre midfield
This has arguably been Leeds' most consistent area of the pitch this season with Tyler Adams and Marc Roca having formed an excellent partnership in the middle. That said, should one of these two be missing for a prolonged period, the drop off in quality is quite stark.
Adam Forshaw appears to be Leeds' main back-up, but again, injuries have been a massive issue for him this season. Sam Greenwood has also stepped in at times but his best position still remains further up the field where he is able to take shots and find crosses. Darko Gyabi, meanwhile, looks a very promising young talent.
Attacking midfield
Brenden Aaronson has made that position his own since his summer arrival from Red Bull Salzburg and his style of play has fitted in seamlessly at Elland Road. That said, there is certainly still room for improvement, particularly from a goals and assists point of view.
Mateusz Klich provides Marsch with another option in that area but all signs are currently pointing towards a January exit, which could force Leeds into the market. Rodrigo Moreno can also play there, but ultimately, his best performances have come further up the field.
Wingers
Arguably Leeds' best position both in terms of quality and depth is out wide. Luis Sinisterra, Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Jack Harrison all provide Marsch with something different.
On form, Sinisterra and Summerville look as though they would be the first choice pairing with everyone fit, however Gnonto has already proven how good he is, and a confident Harrison is a danger for any team in the Premier League.
Striker
Rodrigo has really stepped up to the plate in Patrick Bamford's continued injury nightmare this season, having found the net nine times in 13 matches. Only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Ivan Toney have score more than the Spaniard.
At this point, it doesn't feel like Bamford will ever be at full fitness again and so Leeds must enter the market next month to strengthen their options in the final third. Joe Gelhardt remains another decent option but hasn't really kicked on after his breakthrough last season, while Mateo Joseph is another talent coming through.
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