Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has a right to be frustrated by the lack of quality that his team have produced in the final third in the Premier League this season.
The Whites were beaten 2-0 by Burnley on Saturday at Turf Moor in a game that they created four ‘big chances’ and conceded two goals from four shots against them.
They were not clinical enough in front of goal at one end, with the chances that they created to score past Martin Dubravka, and they conceded two sloppy goals, albeit the second one was a brilliant strike.
Unfortunately, missing quality chances has been a theme for Leeds in the Premier League this season, since they won the Championship title with 100 points last term.
1
Crystal Palace – 33
Crystal Palace – 22
2
Man City – 27
Man City – 17
3
Liverpool – 24
Liverpool – 17
4
Chelsea – 23
Leeds – 14
5
Arsenal – 22
Man Utd – 14
6
Man Utd – 22
Arsenal – 13
7
Brighton – 18
Newcastle – 11
8
Leeds – 17
Nottingham Forest – 11
9
Newcastle – 15
Chelsea – 10
10
Everton – 15
Everton – 10
As you can see in the table above, the Whites have created more than enough chances, the eighth-most in the league in fact, but they have only scored three of the 17 ‘big chances’ they have had.
With their evident struggles at the top end of the pitch, Farke may wonder what his team would look like if they had kept hold of a player like Georginio Rutter.
Why Leeds need Georginio Rutter in their team
The lack of depth and quality in their squad was on full display on Saturday when Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison lined up on the wings for the West Yorkshire outfit against Burnley.
Per Sofascore, Aaronson and Harrison have scored two goals in their last 85 Premier League matches combined, which shows that they are unlikely to provide much in the way of quality in the final third to win points for the team.
Leeds sold Rutter to Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2024 for £40m, due to a release clause in his contract, after they lost the play-off final to Southampton.
Appearances
28
xG
4.64
Goals
5
Big chances missed
5
Big chances created
6
xA
1.67
Assists
3
Dribbles completed
28
As you can see in the table above, the France U21 international enjoyed a decent first season with the Seagulls in the top-flight, with eight direct goal contributions in 28 matches.
His return of five goals in 28 games is, obviously, far more impressive than Aaronson and Harrison’s combined hauls at Premier League level, which is why Leeds could do with a player of his quality right now.
Rutter, as shown in the clip above, has proven that he can provide moments of quality in the top-flight, and Farke does not have enough players of that ilk in his current squad.
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That being said, there is one player who was signed during the summer transfer window who looks like he could be an even bigger talent than Rutter for the Whites.
The 49ers splashed the cash to sign Switzerland international Noah Okafor from Italian giants AC Milan for a fee of £18m, and he has made an impressive start to life at Elland Road.
Why Noah Okafor is an even bigger talent than Georginio Rutter
Okafor missed the trip to Turf Moor with a minor injury, which is why Harrison started out wide, and his absence was keenly felt, as the team missed all four of their ‘big chances’.
Whilst it is still true that Leeds lack quality, as evidenced by how many chances they have missed this season, and that they could do with a player like Rutter, the Swiss star is one signing that they have hit gold with.
The former Napoli attacker is possibly the only attacking player, as in a winger or a striker, who has shown genuine quality in front of goal in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals in five matches.
Okafor has a stunning conversion rate of 33% across his five appearances in the Premier League so far, and the clip above showcases why, as he has the pace, composure, and quality to take chances when they come his way.
AllLeedsTV presenter Oscar Marrio called the Swiss star a “class difference maker” who “raises everyone else’s game around him” because he is the club’s “most important player”, which is backed up by his statistics.
Appearances
28
5
xG
4.64
1.16
Goals
5
2
Minutes per goal
335
154
Conversion rate
10%
33%
xA per 90
0.08
0.09
Dribbles completed per game
1.0
2.2
As you can see in the table above, Okafor’s current form is even more impressive than what Rutter showed for Brighton in the 2024/25 campaign, as he is scoring goals and creating chances with greater regularity, whilst also offering far more to the team as a dribbler.
As Marrio said, the £18m summer signing is a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch. His ability as a scorer, a creator, and a dribbler, means that he provides a constant threat down the left flank for Leeds.
He may have cost £22m less than what Brighton paid for Rutter in 2024, but Okafor looks to be an even bigger talent than Rutter, with the quality that he has been able to offer in the Premier League so far this season.
At the age of 25, the summer signing also has time left ahead of him to develop further at Elland Road and potentially be worth even more than Rutter was sold for in the future if he can keep up his current performance levels.
With how poor the likes of Harrison and Aaronson have been in the final third, Farke will be hoping that the Switzerland international returns from injury as quickly as possible to be the main man for the team at the top end of the pitch in the coming weeks and months.