Leeds United have missed on the opportunity to close the gap between themselves and the current top two over the last two gameweeks.
Daniel Farke's side have picked up just one point from games against Sunderland and Coventry over the past week, as they lost 1-0 to the former and were held to a 1-1 draw by the latter.
This has left them ten points behind Ipswich Town, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Norwich on Saturday, when the gap could have been closed to five points.
Regular starters Dan James and Joel Piroe failed to step up with any goal involvements in those two games and this meant that Leeds needed a lift off the bench from their substitutes.
Unfortunately, Farke's depth has left a lot to be desired as Patrick Bamford, Wilfried Gnonto, and Jaidon Anthony have combined for one goal and one assist in 37 substitute appearances between them in the Championship this season.
The German boss could improve his depth by finally ditching Wilfried Gnonto in order to reignite his interest in Genk star Joseph Paintsil.
Leeds transfer news – Gnonto and Paintsil
Football Insider have claimed that the Whites are now open to allowing the Italy international to depart from Elland Road during the upcoming January transfer window.
The report stated that he could be sold next month to bolster Farke's budget as it would allow him to dip into the market to bring in fresh reinforcements ahead of the second half of the campaign.
It was also reported that Gnonto is 'desperate' to play regular first-team football again as he has found himself on the bench more often than not so far this season.
Football Insider claimed that teams from both the Premier League and the Serie A are monitoring his situation ahead of a possible January swoop.
Leeds would, however, need to replace Gnonto with another versatile forward and Farke could finally ditch the Italian prospect by reigniting his interest in Genk star Joseph Paintsil.
The Athletic reported during the summer transfer window that the club made a €10m (£8.6m) offer to sign the right-footed whiz to improve their attack.
They did not get a deal over the line for him, though, as the Ghana international later revealed that he turned down Leeds and Southampton as his dream is to play Premier League football.
The exciting gem decided that staying at Genk was the best option for him at the time to earn himself a direct move to a top five European league further down the line.
However, Leeds – and Southampton – are competing at the top end of the Championship table and are eyeing an instant return back to the top-flight.
They could use their current position, in third place, to convince the Pro League star to ditch his current club to complete a move to Elland Road, with the prospect of playing Premier League football next season being the big selling point.
Wilfried Gnonto's Leeds statistics
The 20-year-old whiz joined Leeds from Swiss side FC Zurich in the summer of 2022 and has shown flashes of brilliance during his time in England.
Gnonto has showcased his potential with rare moments of quality but is yet to prove that he has the consistency to be a reliable option for Farke in the short term.
Last season, the young ace produced two goals, four assists, and three 'big chances' created in 24 Premier League appearances for the Whites as they were relegated to the second tier.
This was a promising start to life at Elland Road for the talented ace as he ranked within the top 19% of top-flight attacking midfielders and wingers for assists (0.27) per 90.
However, the right-footed winger has not been able to kick on and take his play to new heights with the drop down to the Championship this term.
Gnonto has managed one goal, one assist, and zero 'big chances' created in 16 league appearances – six of which have come as a starter – for Leeds this season.
He handed in a transfer request in an attempt to secure a move to Everton over the summer and is yet to prove that the Whites were right to keep hold of him instead of cashing in when they had the chance.
Farke could finally ditch the Italy international, who wanted out earlier this year, by signing Paintsil to replace him in January if the club can convince the Genk star this time around.
The statistics that show why Leeds should sign Paintsil
The 25-year-old dynamo, who was once lauded as an "ice-cold baller" by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, has been in impressive form since the start of last season and could be a big upgrade on Gnonto.
Last term, Paintsil caught the eye with his outstanding ability to contribute with both goals and assists on a regular basis from a wide position.
The Leeds target produced 17 goals and 11 assists in 36 Pro League outings and ranked within the top 3% or higher among his positional peers for assists (0.46) and non-penalty goals (0.54) per 90.
He has followed that up with a strong start to the current campaign. The 5 foot 6 wizard has racked up six goals, four assists, and eight 'big chances' created in 18 league matches.
Paintsil currently ranks within the top 9% of Pro League attacking midfielders and wingers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.37) per 90.
These statistics show that the impressive forward is a consistent ace who has the quality to chip in as a scorer and a creator of goals on a regular basis, given that he has proven himself over the last 18 months.
Appearances
16
18
Goals
One
Six
Assists
One
Four
Big chances created
Zero
Eight
Sofascore rating
6.84
7.26
As you can see in the table above, Paintsil has the potential to come in as a significant upgrade on Gnonto for Farke during the second half of the season.
The Ghana international could provide real competition for James and Piroe in the attacking positions and provide the manager with a potent option off the bench, which is something that is currently missing from the squad.
