Leeds United are preparing to travel away to face Peterborough United in the FA Cup on Sunday as they enjoy a break from the rigours of the battle to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The Whites are fighting to land a top two spot in the Championship in order to avoid needing to earn their spot back in the top-flight via the play-offs.
Daniel Farke's side are currently seven points adrift of Ipswich Town in second and have missed numerous opportunities to close that gap with just two wins in their last six games.
They were, however, able to record a comfortable victory over Birmingham City on Monday as they beat Wayne Rooney's side 3-0 at Elland Road, which led to the former England international being relieved of his duties.
Farke opted to unleash Georgino Rutter in a new role in that match as he operated behind Patrick Bamford, which allowed him to roam around the pitch to do damage in the final third.
Leeds transfer news – Josh Sargent
The Whites head coach could do that on a regular basis by reigniting his interest in a deal to sign his former striker Josh Sargent from Norwich City.
Football Insider reported last summer that Farke was eyeing up the USA international to bolster his strikeforce ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The outlet added that the 49ers were prepared to back a bid to snap him up from the Canaries, although there was no mention of how much it would have cost to secure his signature.
However, Sargent suffered a serious ankle injury against Huddersfield in August 2023 and that ended any chance of a move away from Norfolk at that time.
He recently made his comeback from that blow after missing a staggering 22 matches for the Canaries and his return has come alongside the opening of the January transfer window.
During his injury lay-off, the American ace put pen to paper on a contract extension with Norwich to take him through to 2028 and this could make it difficult for Leeds to tempt him away from Carrow Road.
However, they could use the prospect of a promotion push and the lure of working alongside Farke, who signed him for the Yellows in 2021, to convince him to make the move to Yorkshire before the end of the month.
He could then form a lethal partnership with Rutter, who the German tactician hailed as "nearly perfect" in his new role against Birmingham on New Year's Day.
Sofascore rating
7.7
Duels won
Nine
Dribbles completed
One
Chances created
Three
Shots
Five
Farke claimed that the French whiz has developed his game in order to be tidier on the ball, which has allowed him to play deeper in a number ten position as there is not as much of a risk of him losing possession easily compared to earlier in the campaign.
Rutter's season in numbers
The 21-year-old magician has been in terrific form this season for the Whites, both as a centre-forward and in his new role, as a creative spark at the top end of the pitch.
He has been one of the outstanding creators in the Championship since Leeds were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
Jesse Marsch signed him from Hoffenheim in January 2023 and the then-20-year-old struggled in the top-flight during his first few months in English football, as you can see in the table below.
Appearances
11
Starts
One
Goals
Zero
Assists
One
Big chances created
Zero
However, the drop down to the second tier has allowed him to flourish in a Leeds shirt. He has started 24 league games for the club this term and contributed with four goals and nine assists.
Only Abdul Fatawu, for Leicester, has created more 'big chances' (19) than Rutter (17) in the Championship so far this season, which illustrates the quality of his passing in the final third.
In fact, the Whites star currently ranks within the top 1% of his positional peers in the division for assists (0.39), Expected Assisted Goals (0.37), and shot-creating actions (4.53) per 90.
These statistics show that the young dynamo is a sensational creative talent who has the ability to consistently unlock opposition defences to create high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Sargent
Leeds could now land him a lethal partner at the top end of the pitch by securing a deal to sign Sargent from Norwich, who could lead the line for the club and allow Rutter to be permanently deployed as a number ten.
The USA international showcased his goalscoring quality at Championship level during the 2022/23 campaign as he plundered 13 goals in 40 appearances.
However, only 19 of those matches came as a centre-forward – his preferred position – and the young marksman scored nine goals in those games.
Centre-forward
19
Nine
Right winger
11
Two
Attacking midfielder
Three
One
Central midfielder
Two
One
Left winger
Two
Zero
Second striker
One
Zero
Left midfielder
One
Zero
His 13 goals also came from just 10.41 xG (Expected Goals) and this shows that the Canaries star was ruthless in front of goal with the chances that did come his way.
Despite his horrendous injury, Sargent also boasts an impressive record in front of goal in the Championship during the 2023/24 campaign.
The 23-year-old star has produced four goals and one assist in six league appearances, which includes four starts, for Norwich this term.
He has four goals from 2.62 xG and this means that the Leeds target has plundered 17 goals from 13.03 xG in the division since the start of last season.
These statistics suggest that Sargent is a lethal EFL centre-forward who could make the most of Rutter's creativity. Whereas, Patrick Bamford has one goal from 1.96 xG and Joel Piroe has nine goals from 10.27 xG this season.
Therefore, Farke should reignite his interest in the £26k-per-week ace, who was hailed as a "phenomenal" talent by teammate Ashley Barnes, as he could form a terrific partnership with the French whiz with their respective qualities in the final third.