More important than Stach: Leeds lining up move to sign £8m "1-on-1 king"
da supremo： Leeds United are enjoying raiding the Bundesliga for some exciting talents this summer transfer window.
da bet vitoria： Indeed, away from Sean Longstaff’s recent £12m arrival last week, every other pick-up so far this window has come from the German top division, with that trend clear for all to see once more with the imminent £17.4m signing of Anton Stach from Hoffenheim.
Daniel Farke clearly trusts in the Bundesliga when attempting to make wholesale changes to his squad, with yet another target now on the Whites’ agenda from this happy hunting ground.
Leeds interested in move for £8m star
It’s not just the Bundesliga that the Whites are looking at when it comes to top European leagues; however, as reports suggest that Leeds have also cast their net out to Serie A when eyeing up Juventus forward Timothy Weah, alongside delving deeper into La Liga by reportedly approaching Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche.
Moreover, there are still Premier League stars on their mind, too, with Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz very firmly on their radar when attempting to strengthen their forward positions, as Patrick Bamford is now deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road by Farke.
Whilst that fresh development will make a new striker a top priority, it’s not quite as pressing as Leeds’ need for a Premier League-standard goalkeeper, with the Whites’ wishes for a top-flight-ready keeper potentially coming true in the form of Augsburg stopper Finn Dahmen.
A report from German outlet BILD states that Leeds are interested in sealing a deal for the 27-year-old, who is valued at around £8m according to Transfermarkt, with this deal being considered more important to secure than Stach’s much-talked-about arrival on the scene.
Why Dahmen is a more important signing than Stach
Whilst Stach’s versatility – as can be seen looking at the table below – will be useful for Leeds as they make their way up to a gruelling new division, Farke would love to add Dahmen to his camp even more as Illan Meslier is ditched once and for all.
Stach’s numbers for Hoffenheim by position
Position
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
DM
49
3
5
CB
13
0
0
CM
8
1
1
RM
1
0
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Last season in the Premier League saw all three promoted sides return to the EFL with a whimper, having leaked a combined 248 strikes between them.
Therefore, it will be absolutely pivotal to Leeds’ survival chances that they possess a stopper ready for the intense challenges in the Premier League, and they could have just that in their new 6-foot-1 target if his Bundesliga heroics are anything to go by.
Staggeringly, across all the major German leagues, Dahmen was voted as the goalkeeper of the season for his standout exploits during the 24/25 campaign, with the former Germany U21 international managing to give up just 19 goals in total from 19 league outings.
Dahmen’s consistent excellence between the sticks would help Sandro Wagner’s men to a comfortable 12th finish in the overall league standings come the final match day of the season, with Leeds aiming for a similarly easy-going final position back in the Premier League.
Stach did chip in with one goal and two assists himself, fighting it out for Hoffenheim, but his superb showings were nearly all in vain as Christian Ilzer’s side were narrowly close to the shock of relegation, still, in 15th spot.
Dahmen’s Bundesliga numbers for Augsburg (24/25)
Stat
Dahmen
Games played
19
Goals conceded
19
Goals conceded per game
1.0
Saves
65
Goals prevented
+6.86
Ball recoveries per game
7.2
Clean sheets
9
Stats by Sofascore
Without Dahmen, Augsburg might well have been looking over their shoulder, too, with a mammoth 6.86 goals prevented from hitting the back of the net courtesy of the number one stopper.
In stark contrast, Meslier, away from letting in 27 goals, prevented -2.73 goals, with his errors nearly costing Leeds dear in their promotion run-in.
Therefore, there will be plenty of hesitation on Farke’s end about persisting with the shaky Frenchman, with Augsburg’s “1-on-1 king” – as he’s been dubbed by football journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt – instantly displacing him on his arrival.
Stach might well have to fight it out for a starting spot, on the contrary, whilst Dahmen readies himself to become Leeds’ number one stopper as another golden German export.
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