'Perfect' Oliver Skipp links could make sense despite major Leeds United shortcoming

Daniel Farke once described Oliver Skipp as the perfect signing. Such a statement came during his time at Norwich City, where he managed to secure the services of Skipp from Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan.

For Norwich and Farke, it was a remarkable campaign as the club bounced back from relegation from the Premier League with promotion at the first time of asking. The Canaries racked up 97 points in total with their place in the top flight secured with five games still to play.

For Skipp, who was just short of his 20th birthday when he made the move to East Anglia, it was a coming of age campaign, with the midfielder making 47 appearances. Of those outings 44 were starts, playing an instrumental role at the base of the Norwich midfield alongside Kenny McLean as Farke's side went in pursuit of a second promotion in three seasons.

He slotted seamlessly into the German’s system, breaking up play, kickstarting attacks and relishing the hard yards as he demonstrated just why he was so highly thought of at his parent club.

It's not hard to understand why Farke took the opportunity to pile praise on the then England U21 international with regularity then.

“He was one of my biggest wishes to bring in last summer, so compliments to Stuart Webber for making it happen,” Farke told the Pink Un in February 2021, more than half way through his loan spell. “I can only praise Olly and Tottenham. This was perfect business.

"We saw the potential, we looked into his character a lot and we knew he would be fully convinced to give everything, not thinking I don’t need to work to prove I am the best in my position. Oliver is a perfect lad. So humble. He is a brilliant loan signing.

"A fantastic lad. He reminds me a little of Max Aarons in his first season, who also delivered with unbelievable consistency, with no mistakes, never injured, never ill. I actually said before Birmingham there was one or two areas he can still improve, like in terms of the attacking side, and then in the very next game he scores at Birmingham. That is a good sign he listens to what I demand."

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Skipp has developed into a semi-regular performer at Tottenham since that spell under Farke's stewardship and last season he made 24 appearances for the north London club. However, at the age of 23 he hasn't quite become a regular starter and recent reports have suggested that he is keen to take the next step and pick up more consistent game time elsewhere next season.

Clearly then, given the rapport and understanding he has with Farke, Leeds United would be an obvious fit and a fresh report in the Athletic claims the Tottenham man could become an option for the Whites this summer, if the club found themselves needing to enter the market for a midfielder. Of course, Leeds are fairly well-stocked in the middle of the park heading into the summer and Farke will be happy with the current options at his disposal.

But Ilia Gruev and Archie Gray are among the players who have been linked away and should they leave they would need to be replaced. That's when Skipp may well enter the frame, should he be willing to drop down to second tier in order to link up with his former mentor that is.

There has to be question marks about his lack of attacking output given he has scored just two goals throughout his senior career. Leeds struggled for goals from midfield in the Championship last season with Ilia Gruev's free-kick in the play-off semi-final against Norwich being the only league goal scored by any of the club's recognised centre-midfielders, with Glen Kamara and Ethan Ampadu, both drawing blanks.

Archie Gray thought he had scored against Leicester City, but his effort was deemed to be an own goal, ensuring the teenager, who admittedly like Ampadu spent a chunk of the season in the defensive line, is still waiting for his first Whites goal, too. If Leeds were to enter the market for a midfielder, Farke would surely be keen to address that shortcoming.

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However, the opportunity to bring in a player of Skipp's calibre, who Farke knows and trusts so well, may be too good to turn down. The pair clearly had a strong relationship at Carrow Road and given the success they had together, a reunion would seem to make an awful lot of sense as Leeds push to clear the final promotion hurdle at the second time of asking.