Leeds United have made an approach to loan Cameron Archer from Southampton and hope a deal can be done before Monday’s transfer deadline.
Archer, 23, has made 21 appearances for Southampton in the Premier League this season, but only 10 of those have been starts. He arrived at St Mary’s Stadium five months ago for £15million ($18.6m) plus £2m in add-ons and has scored twice in the league.
Southampton manager Ivan Juric has used Archer sparingly since arriving on December 23, with the striker starting just one of the seven matches the Croatian has taken charge of.
While Archer has struggled to make an impression in the top flight, his record in the Championship is far more attractive.
During his time with Aston Villa, he had loan spells with Preston North End and Middlesbrough in the second tier. Across those two stints, in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Archer scored 18 goals in 40 appearances.
Archer scored 11 goals in 20 games during his loan spell at Middlesbrough during the 2022-23 season (Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images)
Leeds have not added anyone during this transfer window and were expecting to have a quiet month unless they could add quality that materially improved their squad. Archer fits the bill, in their eyes, and they hope a deal can be struck before Monday’s 11pm (GMT) deadline.
He was pursued by Leeds in the summer of 2023, after relegation, but he signed on with Sheffield United for an ill-fated year in the Premier League.
Elsewhere in the squad, the full-back areas are well-stocked and, at present, Leeds have no plans to add to those departments this month. Newcastle United’s Matt Targett is not someone the club are pursuing.
‘A new striker cannot be sniffed at’
Manager Daniel Farke said he expected, even hoped, Leeds would have a quiet January, but they would always stay awake for the right option. The board expected the month’s best business would be done in the final few days and here we are.
On paper, the squad looks most short at centre-back or No 10, but a new striker can never be sniffed at when you are trying to get over the line in the Championship. Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph have jostled for starts all year, while Patrick Bamford has fought for fitness on the fringes.
The fear is, if Piroe gets injured, can Joseph carry a title push on his young shoulders? Bamford cannot be relied upon until March at the earliest, and that’s if February goes perfectly for his comeback from a hamstring injury.
Archer is the archetypal addition we see ambitious Championship sides make, year after year — a striker who’s probably too good for the second tier, but not quite enough for the top flight, hence his limited minutes with Southampton.
Leeds hope Southampton will let him out in the closing days of the window. Equally, United are comfortable to end the window as they are if Archer, or players of that quality, are not available.
(Top photo: Warren Little/Getty Images)
