Leeds United have once again been linked with the signing of Red Bull Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams. Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has claimed Leeds are one of several clubs keeping tabs on his situation, with an exit from Leipzig looking likely this summer.
The Whites are already on the verge of signing Bayern Munich midfielder Marc Roca, with a deal in the region of €12 million set to be concluded later this week. Whether Leeds decide to bring in a second one remains to be seen and it is likely to depend on the future of Kalvin Phillips.
Phillips is the subject of strong interest from Premier League champions Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola earmarking him as his number one target to replace Fernandinho. If Phillips does depart, that could trigger Leeds’ move for Adams and so with that in mind, here is everything you need to know on the Leipzig man.
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What has he done so far?
Already a 29-time capped USMNT international, Adams progressed through the ranks of Jesse Marsch’s former club New York Red Bulls. He was handed his MLS debut at the age of just 17 in April 2016 but returned to the Red Bulls’ second team on loan for the rest of the season.
Adams eventually became a regular starter for the MLS side in the 2017 season and after 74 appearances with the club, reunited with Marsch at Leipzig in January 2019. He was a regular starter during his first two-and-a-half seasons with the club, but saw game time become slightly more limited in the 2021/22 campaign.
Despite that, Adams won his first ever trophy at club level in European football last term as Leipzig lifted the DFB-Pokal. He remains a regular in the USA midfield, though, helping them qualify for the World Cup later this year.
Why would Leeds want him?
Like Phillips, Adams is primarily a defensive midfielder who excels in his ability to win back possession. With Roca likely to join from Bayern Munich this week, Leeds would need someone to partner him if Phillips makes the switch to Manchester City.
Roca’s main strengths are very much on the ball, with the Spaniard possessing an excellent passing range that would need to be complemented by someone who can get amongst the opposition from a defensive standpoint. He is also very well known to Leeds boss Marsch, meaning he would have an excellent understanding of the system and would therefore not need much time to bed in at Elland Road.
What has been said about him?
As aforementioned, Marsch is a big fan of Adams is a player and during his time as Leipzig’s assistant manager, he was not afraid to show just how highly he rates him. He said: “The ceiling is massive for him, everyone can see that. I obviously played a part in Tyler, and the relationship with the club, and the eventual move to come here. I knew he’d do well.”
According to former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick, the ‘sky is the limit’ for Adams, who worked closely with him during his time at Leipzig. He said: "We spoke about Joshua earlier and Tyler is the same; he has an unbelievable will to win. He wants to win every match and every training game. He wants to improve and listens. He's never satisfied.
“He always strives for improvement and in terms of his tactical understanding, I prefer to see him in central midfield because then he's at the heart of the action. I don't like to see him out wide, although he can do that well and that makes him valuable to the team and to Julian.
“I see him similarly to Joshua Kimmich, in central midfield as a six or an eight. He has now started to score and create a few goals and I see his potential as being very high, the sky is the limit. As long as he maintains his mentality, and he won't lose it, I don't see any limits."
After a 3-0 win over Nuremberg in September 2020, former Leipzig and current Bayern boss Julien Naglesmann likened his abilities to a ‘quarterback’. He said: “It didn’t work out at all in training on Friday, but it did in the game. We wanted to open up some new spaces in our build-up play. Tyler played like a quarterback. It gives us new opportunities for the future.”
