Leeds United took another step on the road to securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League with a big 3-1 win over Hull City on Monday.
The Whites needed a late penalty from Crysencio Summerville, who took the ball off Joel Piroe to take the spot-kick, and a stoppage time long-ranger from Dan James to secure all three points at Elland Road, after Fabio Carvalho cancelled out Sam Byram's opener.
Ipswich Town are currently one point ahead of the club, in first place, whilst Leicester City are one point behind Daniel Farke's side, with one game in hand on the top two.
Leeds will be looking to avoid the lottery of the play-offs in the post-season and that means that they have to keep churning out results over the next six matches to ensure that they finish in one of the top two places to land automatic promotion to the Premier League, having been relegated from the top-flight last summer.
The Whites reportedly already have allowed some of their focus to shift to the summer transfer window and how they could improve their squad, whether they are in the Championship or the top division.
Leeds interest in Championship star
According to a recent report from the Belfast Telegraph, Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Sunderland star Trai Hume at the end of the season.
The outlet claimed that the Whites are considering a swoop to snap up the Northern Ireland international to bolster their options at full-back ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
It named Aston Villa, Bournemouth, and Leicester as the other English teams keeping tabs on his progress at the Stadium of Light, which means that there could be Premier League competition for his signature.
Reigning Serie A champions Napoli, who were in the Champions League this season, are also said to be weighing up a move for the talented right-back, who has seemingly caught the eye with his performances on the pitch in the Championship this season.
The report did not, however, reveal how much Sunderland would demand for the defender, who they paid £200k for in January 2022, from the interested clubs.
It, therefore, remains to be seen how viable a deal is for Leeds irrespective of the division they are due to be in next season. If the Whites are promoted to the Premier League, though, they could use that to tempt the full-back into making the move to Elland Road.
Farke could now land a big upgrade on current right-back Byram, who is out of contract at the end of this season, by securing a deal for Hume.
Sam Byram's Leeds season in numbers
The German boss brought the Leeds academy graduate back to Yorkshire for a second spell at the club, having also worked with him during their time together at Norwich, on a free transfer from the Canaries last summer.
Byram penned a one-year deal at Elland Road and has been a reliable performer when called upon throughout the season, at both left-back and right-back.
In four years at Norwich, the defender only played 54 matches in all competitions for the Norfolk-based outfit, with various injury issues, but has already racked up 32 appearances for Leeds this term.
Appearances
29
Starts
21
Sofascore rating
7.17
Duel success rate
55%
Tackles per game
1.8
Interceptions per game
1.2
As you can see in the table above, 29 of those games have come in the Championship as the versatile ace has provided Farke with defensive quality on the left and the right flank.
Byram, who scored the opening goal against Hull on Monday by bundling the ball in at the back post, has chipped in with two goals and one assist in those matches, with only one 'big chance' created for his teammates.
Despite his solid performances in the Championship, his aforementioned injury issues with Norwich and the fact he turns 31 in September mean that it could make sense to shake hands and part ways in the summer.
His contract expires at the end of this season and Hume could be brought in as a natural successor to Byram, whilst being an upgrade on the 30-year-old gem who also has room to improve at the age of 22.
Why Trai Hume would be a Sam Byram upgrade
The Northern Irish whiz has been in fantastic form in the Championship for the Black Cats so far this season, and has outperformed the current Leeds man.
His progressive play on the ball could, firstly, make him a smart addition for Leeds from a stylistic perspective, given Farke's possession-based system.
Hume ranks within the top 16% of full-backs in the division for progressive passes (4.91) per 90, and the top 18% for pass success rate (81.6%), which shows that the 5 foot 11 dynamo looks to play forward to progress play for his side and is efficient at doing so in comparison to his positional peers.
The 22-year-old star, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, also has fantastic defensive qualities that could make him a big upgrade on Byram.
Appearances
29
40
Tackles per game
1.8
3.4
Interceptions per game
1.2
1.5
Ball recoveries per game
3.7
5.5
Ground duel success rate
55%
58%
Aerial duel success rate
54%
60%
Red cards
0
1
As you can see in the table below, the Black Cats titan has outperformed the English defender in almost every key defensive metric in the Championship this season.
Hume wins possession back for his team more frequently, through tackles and interceptions, and wins a higher percentage of his duels with opposition attackers, on the ground and in the air, which shows that he is a more effective and efficient defender.
Like Byram, the young enforcer also has the versatility to be deployed at left-back or right-back. This means that the Leeds target could be the perfect signing to replace the former Norwich ace, given that he can operate and provide cover on either side.
Therefore, Farke must push to secure a deal for the talented defender to improve his squad during the summer transfer window, as Hume could offer more quality at the back with his fantastic defensive skills whilst also having room to develop at his young age.
