Leeds United have not always had the most active January transfer windows under the 49ers.
In January this year, we signed Facundo Buonanotte on loan and, in all honesty, we may as well have saved ourselves the hassle, as the Argentinian had virtually no impact during his time in West Yorkshire.
Connor Roberts is another example of a player we signed on loan in January. However, similar to Buonanotte, the Welsh full-back struggled to break into the team following his loan move to Elland Road.
Typically, the 49ers tend to avoid breaking the bank in January, but with one of their long-term targets now available, they may be forced to reconsider their stance.
Bilal El Khannouss reportedly available in January – Sky Sports
Bilal El Khannouss has been a player United have been linked with ever since our promotion.
The 22-year-old typically operates as a number ten or out on the right flank for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
But El Khannouss has been on our radar since his days at Leicester.
This season, El Khannouss has made nine Bundesliga appearances and scored two goals. The season prior to that, he scored four goals and provided five assists in 1634 Bundesliga minutes. (Sofascore)
Now, reports from Sky Sports’ Flortian Plettenberg state that Stuttgart are prepared to sell El Khannouss as early as January.
The Bundesliga outfit would reportedly want around £33.4million for the youngster, including add-ons.
Galatasaray are said to be one of the clubs monitoring him. But no concrete steps to finalise a deal have been taken just yet.
Door open for Leeds to finally land Bilal El Khannouss
Whether the 49ers are still interested in bringing El Khannouss to West Yorkshire or not remains to be seen.
However, if they are, the door now appears to be open for them to seal the deal. Whether that’s in January or perhaps something can be agreed ahead of time so El Khannouss becomes a Leeds player in the summer.
The fact that Galatasaray are the only team mentioned in the report would be encouraging for the 49ers, as surely an ambitious club in the Premier League is a more attractive proposition than moving to Turkey at 22, unless it’s for a paycheque.
But whether it’s in January or the summer, El Khannouss looks like he will be on the move. And if the 49ers still want to sign him after bringing in Harry Wilson, they appear to have an ideal opportunity to land their man if they move swiftly.
