Graham Smyth offers telling Leeds United transfer insight as 'list of one' revealed
Leeds United are getting exactly what they want from one summer signing in particular.
Graham Smyth has revealed Leeds United managed to sign the one left-back on their priority transfer shortlist in Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Leeds secured the left-back’s services after agreeing a £10million deal with French side Lille in early July, and it has already proven to be a great piece of business. The 26-year-old has filled the gap left by Junior Firpo and produced a string of fine performances, with next-to-no time needed to adapt to the Premier League.
Elland Road chiefs are known to have created lists of potential transfer options in each position over the summer which they could work through, should a priority target prove unattainable. But at left-back, it appears they had their sights set on one man only.
“You have your priority lists of who you would like [to sign] like they had [Sean] Longstaff and [Habib] Diarra for the central midfield role,” he told the YEP’s Inside Elland Road podcast. “At left-back they almost had a list of one. The priority list was one man who they felt in all of Europe could do what they wanted to do, and it was Gabby Gudmundsson.
“I think we’re already seeing why because he looks after business in his own half. I think what impressed me most so far this season was how he defended when [Adama] Traore came on against Fulham. He was so alert and switched on to when the ball was coming out to Traore, and he reacted instantly. His reaction time was excellent.”
Graham Smyth’s verdict on Gabriel Gudmundsson after strong Leeds United start
Of course that excellent performance at Fulham was somewhat overshadowed by a calamitous added-time own-goal that caused Leeds to lose 1-0, but Gudmundsson appeared to have shaken the setback off with ease at Molineux. The Swede was a constant attacking threat down Wolves’ right-hand side and defended with relative ease as his side protected a 3-1 lead after half-time.
There are already promising patterns of play emerging down Leeds’ left, with a trio of new signings in Gudmundsson, Noah Okafor and Anton Stach all heavily involved in building attacks on that side. And Smyth has been really impressed with what he’s seen from all three, particularly the marauding left-back.
“Against Wolves, he wasn't really ever troubled defensively but what I really enjoy about Gabby Gudmundsson is when he gets the ball 25 or 30 yards from his own goal, little body swerve, slaloming run inside and wins a free-kick or takes Leeds out of pressure,” Smyth added. “It's a really nice feature of his game and the interplay with Stach and Okafor has looked good on that left side.
“Getting Stach to make those deep runs into the channel, it just gives Leeds a real presence there. We’re only five games in so we are not handing out any Player of the Season awards yet. But if he can continue in this form, Leeds have themselves a Premier League left-back.”