Left wing is new Leeds United signing Noah Okafor’s preferred position.
Having outlined that he does not like a squad that’s too bloated, Daniel Farke will now have four options in that position, albeit Wilfried Gnonto probably now assumes the role of primary back-up for the right flank.
As was the case last season, having the Italian on the bench is a sign of good depth. Taking Gnonto out of the picture, is having three left wingers too much, or the right amount?
One of the trio will be bottom of the pecking-order pile and it won’t be Okafor. At the start of the summer, most assumed the arrival of a new left winger further opened the door for a Jack Harrison exit. But what has unfolded since raises doubts over that.
Harrison started three pre-season friendlies ahead of Largie Ramazani and it was the former Everton loanee who was brought on against his old club on Monday, not Ramazani. The Belgian told Leeds Live over the summer that he was “more than ready” for the Premier League.
The 24-year-old appears to have knocked back at least one loan proposal this summer, though as of last week club sources outlined that no firm decision on his route forward had been decided.
If he was to go, it would surely be on loan. The winger still has three years left on his deal, having only arrived last summer. He had a mixed campaign, one that started off well before an injury stunted progress.
During the run-in, Farke had publicly called on him to “step up” – something the player said had matured him a lot. Ramazani responded by scoring two goals as a substitute in the 4-0 thumping of Bristol City in last season’s final home game.
Though indeed, that there is the issue Ramazani may face. The last time he started a league game for Farke was in December, and Okafor’s arrival will not improve his chances of getting into the line-up, barring a self-provoked rise.
Meanwhile, one source at the start of the summer described the situation with Harrison as ‘complicated’ with his inclusion in the tour squad ambiguous. The situation has grown clearer throughout pre-season, with Farke willing to give him a chance.
Harrison’s gesture to put money behind the bar for Leeds fans ahead of Monday’s opening game with Everton indicates an attempt to build bridges once more and perhaps that he is envisaging staying on at Elland Road.
It doesn’t seem as though there are too many other options, mind. Everton, the most probable domestic destination, decided against immediately entering talks over a permanent move at the end of his stay and the loan capture of Jack Grealish slims the chance of a return move.
Club chiefs at Leeds have, all the while, pointed to his 170-plus games of Premier League experience as something of an asset for the squad. Plus, Farke briefly used him as left-back in pre-season so perhaps sees him as a more versatile asset.
In the end, given Okafor’s injury history which includes five instances in the last season alone, Farke may wish to keep hold of both Harrison and Ramazani and keep the status quo. But the Switzerland international’s arrival means both players are now fighting for one back-up spot.
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