Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has adapted his system to compete in the Premier League after the club’s promotion from the Championship last season.
The German head coach predominantly deployed a 4-2-3-1 shape with Brenden Aaronson in the number ten position ahead of a double pivot, often including Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka.
It was always going to be a tough ask to be competitive away at Arsenal last weekend, but the change in shape to a 4-3-3 with a number six behind two eights worked perfectly against Everton.
Ampadu sat at the base of the midfield to protect the back four and Tanaka and Anton Stach used their technical ability and athleticism to cover the ground and connect play.
However, this change in shape, that has been seen in the first two Premier League games, does not mean that Farke will completely abandon the 4-2-3-1 that has served him well over the years, for Leeds and Norwich.
In fact, the manager admitted earlier this month that he would like to add a number ten option to the squad, and one player who has been linked with the club is Bilal El Khannouss.
What Bilal El Khannouss could bring to Leeds
It had been reported a couple of weeks ago that Leeds were leading the race to sign the Morocco international from Leicester City, but the latest reports suggest that Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are battling it out for his signature.
This could be viewed as a blow for the West Yorkshire outfit because El Khannouss is an impressive young talent who showed some promising signs in the Premier League last season, despite Leicester’s relegation to the Championship.
The Moroccan playmaker only scored two goals in 32 matches in the top-flight, per Sofascore, which was far from an impressive return in front of goal, but it was his creative skills that caught the eye.
El Khannouss, as you can see in the table below, ranked highly among his positional peers in the Premier League in a host of key creative metrics last season.
xAG
0.19
Top 46%
Assists
0.12
Bottom 35%
Passes attempted
43.85
Top 15%
Progressive passes
5.28
Top 14%
Passes into final third
3.67
Top 10%
Key passes
1.73
Top 37%
Through balls
0.45
Top 16%
This shows that he could bring a touch of creativity to the Leeds team at the top end of the pitch with his ability to create opportunities for his teammates with through balls, progressive passes, key passes, and passes into the final third.
Whilst the Foxes talent could be a decent addition to the squad, the Championship champions are reportedly keen on one of his former teammates, who could be an even better signing for Farke.
Leeds prepared to make move for Brighton midfielder
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Leeds United are prepared to make a move to sign Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton & Hove Albion if an opportunity presents itself.
The reporter claims that the Whites are yet to make an offer for the Argentine attacking midfielder, but are keeping tabs on his situation in case he becomes available on loan.
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He reveals that Buonanotte is one of a number of transfer targets for the West Yorkshire outfit, who have been expecting him to sign for a team with European football on offer, but that has not happened yet.
Meanwhile, journalist Cesar Luis Merlo reports that Leeds and West Ham United are the two teams leading the race to land the talented ace before the deadline slams shut.
Buonanotte, who has been valued at £30m by Brighton, may not have the option to sign for a team with European football and that could open the door for the Whites, or the Hammers, to swoop in before next Monday’s deadline.
Why Leeds should sign Facundo Buonanotte
Leeds should now be pushing to sign Buonanotte instead of El Khannouss to fill the number ten role within the squad, because he could be an even better addition to the group.
The 20-year-old whiz spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Leicester and played alongside El Khannouss in the attacking midfield positions for the Foxes, and showed that he does have the ability to compete at that level.
Buonanotte, who was hailed as a “magician” by Rising Star XI on X, showcased his ability to provide a goal threat in the Premier League with a return of five goals from just 3.93 xG in the division.
Whilst playing in the same team, the Argentine talent produced even more of a threat at the top end of the pitch than El Khannouss did for the Foxes in the top-flight last term.
Appearances
31
32
xG
3.93
1.31
Goals
5
2
Big chances created
7
8
Assists
2
3
Duels won per game
4.3
3.6
As you can see in the table above, Buonanotte delivered 12 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 31 appearances, compared to the Morocco international’s ten goals and ‘big chances’ created combined.
El Khannouss also played roughly 700 more minutes in the Premier League, producing less in front of goal, which suggests that Leeds could get more out of the Brighton youngster if they offer him enough minutes on the pitch.
Buonanotte also averaged 3.84 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the top-flight last term, compared to El Khannouss’ 2.31 tackles and interceptions per 90, per FBref, which suggests that he could offer more to the team out of possession.
As a club looking to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, that added bite off the ball from the Argentine maestro could give him the edge over the Moroccan whiz as a number ten option for Leeds.
Therefore, overall, Buonanotte would be a better signing for the Whites than El Khannouss because of his superior attacking statistics combined with his more impressive work rate out of possession.