Alioski 2.0: Leeds join the race to sign “spectacular” £3m star
Leeds United started their Championship season by dropping two points at Elland Road as they failed to beat newly-promoted Portsmouth on Saturday.
The Whites were held to a 3-3 draw in a game that saw three of the club’s four summer signings feature, including Joe Rodon, making his second debut, Joe Rothwell, and Jayden Bogle.
Daniel Farke has just over two weeks left to make further additions to his squad in an attempt to build a team that can compete for promotion back to the Premier League, having fallen short in the play-off final back in May.
A forward is reportedly on the agenda, with Leeds preparing a bid for Norwich winger Jonathan Rowe, whilst the West Yorkshire outfit are now said to be eyeing a new defender.
Leeds keen on Premier League starlet
According to DaveOCKOP, the 49ers have joined the race to land Owen Beck on loan from Premier League giants Liverpool for the Whites.
The report claims that the Championship side are looking to sign the left-back on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, but they will need to compete with divisional rivals Queens Park Rangers for his signature.
Scottish giants Celtic are also said to be keen on signing the Welsh defender but want a permanent deal, which the Reds want £3m for – a fee the Hoops are yet to get near.
DaveOCKOP adds that Liverpool would prefer Beck to sign a new contract before going out on loan, rather than selling him, which could put Leeds and QPR in pole position as it stands.
The last time the Whites won promotion from the Championship, versatile left-sider Ezgjan Alioski played a crucial role – featuring in 39 matches – and the Reds youngster could be Farke’s own version of him.
Why Beck could be Alioski 2.0
Alioski was a left midfielder who was converted into a left-back under Marcelo Bielsa and Beck is a similar player, who has played a lot of football in both of those positions – with 22 games at left-midfield and 77 matches at left-back.
The former Leeds star, as shown in the graphic above, provided an attacking threat from both roles during his time at Elland Road, and contributed to the promotion in the 2019/20 campaign.
Beck spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership and showcased his attacking quality with two goals and four assists in 25 matches.
As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old starlet’s contributions at both ends of the pitch were, in fact, more impressive than Alioski’s for Leeds in their last promotion campaign under Bielsa.
The “spectacular” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – whiz showed off his midfield instincts by providing a constant creative threat from a left-back position, making more than two key passes per game on average.
These statistics suggest that Leeds would be bringing in a fantastic left-back and left-midfield option who could make things happen at the top end of the pitch, just like Alioski did for the Whites when Bielsa was in the dugout.
