Leeds United's attempts to secure an automatic promotion place in the Championship this season have left a little bit to be desired so far.
The Whites are seven points adrift of Ipswich Town in second place and four points behind Southampton in third, whilst they are a staggering 17 points off Leicester City in first.
Daniel Farke's side have only won two of their last six league matches and failed to score more than one goal in all four of the games they failed to win.
This suggests that the Yorkshire-based outfit have lacked a cutting edge at times and it has cost them in the race to secure a top two position in the division.
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They lost three games by one goal in that run and would have been in second place had they managed to turn those defeats into wins with two more goals in each match.
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The Whites appear to have acknowledged their need for additional firepower as Fabrizio Romano has named them as one of the clubs in the race to secure the signing of Fabio Carvalho this month.
Leeds are said to be pushing to sign the talented attacking midfielder on loan until the end of the season, but they are not the only team in the running.
Fellow Championship high-flyers Southampton and Hull City are also trying to win the race to land his signature in January as they look to bolster their respective attacks.
However, Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen on the Liverpool starlet and this could make it a difficult deal for any of the second tier sides to complete.
Leeds could attempt to persuade Carvalho that a move to Elland Road is his best option to play regular football, which may not be available to him at a top-flight team.
Farke's reputation with young talent, particularly at Championship level, could also play a key role as the German tactician was pivotal in the development of James Maddison and Emiliano Buendia during his time at Norwich City.
Both of those players, albeit Buendia is currently out injured, have gone on to become impressive Premier League performers after shining in the second division as attacking midfielders or wide attackers for the now-Leeds boss at Carrow Road.
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If Leeds and Farke can convince Carvalho to make the switch to Yorkshire then they could land a similar attacking talent to those two Championship superstars, whilst also landing the German boss' own version of Pablo Hernandez.
Marcelo Bielsa had the mercurial Spanish wizard at his disposal to carve open opposition defences on a regular basis in the club's last promotion to the top-flight and the Liverpool youngster has the potential to be a similar creative force from an attacking midfield or wide position
Pablo Hernandez's Championship form under Bielsa
The impressive magician played two seasons in the Championship for the Argentine head coach and caught the eye with his terrific contributions at the top end of the pitch.
Hernandez played 39 matches and started 37 during the 2018/19 campaign, which was Bielsa's first at Elland Road, and racked up 12 goals and 12 assists.
He also created 16 'big chances' for his teammates and this shows that the exciting whiz was a consistent creator who could open up opposition defences for his teammates.
The magical Spaniard followed that up with nine goals, nine assists, and 13 'big chances' created in 36 Championship appearances during the 2019/20 campaign, which ended in promotion to the Premier League.
He ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for xAG (Expected Assisted Goals) with 0.32 per 90, along with being in the top 1% for shot-creating actions (6.67) per 90.
Appearances
16
Goals
Zero
Assists
Two
Big chances created
One
Sofascore rating
6.75
As you can see in the table above, Hernandez was not able to translate his immense Championship form over to the Premier League the following year, as he entered the final throes of his playing career.
However, there is no doubt that the now-38-year-old was a sensational operator in the second tier with his ability to score goals and create chances from a number ten or wide position for the Whites, and Carvalho could follow in his footsteps at Elland Road.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Carvalho
The 21-year-old dynamo has struggled at the top level since Liverpool decided to sign him from Fulham in the summer of 2022 after his second tier exploits.
Carvalho made 13 appearances for the Reds in the Premier League throughout the 2022/23 campaign and contributed with two goals, zero assists, and zero 'big chances' created.
His inability to make the step up led to Jurgen Klopp making the decision to send him out on loan during the first half of the current term.
He spent time on loan with RB Leipzig in Germany but was not able to provide a single goal, assist, or 'big chance' created in nine Bundesliga matches.
However, his form for Fulham in the Championship, prior to his move to Anfield, suggests that the quality is there for him to be Farke's own version of Pablo Hernandez during the second half of this season.
Carvalho was instrumental in the Cottagers' promotion to the top-flight during the 2021/22 campaign as the young ace showcased his attacking capabilities.
The £41k-per-week ace, who was hailed as a "real gem" by talent scout Jacek Kulig that term, racked up ten goals and eight assists in 36 league outings for Fulham.
Chris Willock
1
Harry Wilson
2
Morgan Gibbs-White
3
Callum Robinson
4
Bobby Reid
5
This means that, like Hernandez did in the 2019/20 promotion campaign, Carvalho produced 18 direct goal contributions in those 36 matches – one every other game on average.
The former Fulham star also created 13 'big chances' for his teammates and ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and forwards within the division for xAG (0.31) per 90.
These statistics suggest that the Reds youngster is a player who has the ability, having proven it at Championship level, to be a Hernandez-esque figure for Farke as both a scorer and a creator of goals from midfield, which is why Leeds must push hard to win the race for his signature.