Leeds United recently made their fourth signing of the summer transfer window with the addition of right-back Jayden Bogle from Championship rivals Sheffield United.
The Whites had already snapped up Joe Rodon and Alex Cairns on permanent deals, alongside Joe Rothwell on loan from Bournemouth, and have now added the English defender to the squad.
Daniel Farke is attempting to build a team that is capable of going one step further and achieving promotion from the second tier next season, after his side lost in the play-off final back in May.
The West Yorkshire outfit finished third in the division, just shy of the automatic promotion places, and could now look to make signings to help them break into the top two.
Leeds had the magical talent of Pablo Hernandez in their team during their last promotion-winning campaign in the Championship during the 2019/20 season.
The Spanish wizard was the last player for the club to hit double figures for both goals and assists in a single season – a feat no player managed for the Whites last term.
Farke could now land his own version of Hernandez for the Yorkshire side by swooping for a star the club are reportedly interested in this summer.
Leeds join the race for Championship star
According to Corriere dello Sport (26/07/2024), as relayed by MOTLeedsNews, the Whites are one of a number of teams interested in signing Norwich City magician Gabriel Sara.
The report claims that Leeds have joined the race to sign the Brazilian ace, who thrived in the Championship for the Canaries last season, alongside a host of other clubs.
It states that Atalanta, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, and Galatasaray are also eyeing up the former Sao Paulo sensation, which suggests that it could be a very difficult deal for Farke to get over the line before the end of the summer window.
There is plenty of top-flight competition for his signature and Leeds would need to convince him to remain in the second tier for at least another season if they want to land him ahead of the likes of Palace, Leicester, and Atalanta.
The report does not reveal, though, how much Norwich are set to demand for their star midfielder or whether or not any of the interested teams are prepared to put a bid in for him.
If Leeds can get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old Championship maestro, however, then Farke could have his own Hernandez on his hands.
Pablo Hernandez's Leeds wizardry
To say that the Spanish ace was a quality player for the Yorkshire side would be an understatement, as he lit up Elland Road on a weekly basis for a number of years.
The former Swansea City and Valencia star spent five seasons with Leeds and consistently provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central or wide attacking role.
Hernandez was adept at playing in the number ten position or out wide on the right flank, picking up pockets of space to weave his magic in the final third.
The Spain international racked up 36 goals and 41 assists in 175 appearances for the club in all competitions across those five years, which illustrates the impact he had as a scorer and a creator.
Hernandez's performances at the top end of the pitch under Marcelo Bielsa's first two seasons in the Championship were particularly special.
The right-footed wizard produced a staggering 21 goals and 21 assists across two campaigns in the second tier under the Argentine boss, winning the title in the second term.
Appearances
39
36
Goals
12
9
Assists
12
9
Big chances created
16
13
Key passes per game
3.0
2.3
As you can see in the table above, Hernandez provided regular quality at the top end of the pitch from an attacking midfield or wide position for Leeds.
The Spanish dynamo consistently looked to split open the opposition's defence with incisive passes and crosses to create high-quality chances for his teammates to find the back of the net, whilst also chipping in with goals of his own.
Why Gabriel Sara could be Pablo Hernandez 2.0
Whilst they are not completely similar in style, Sara could come in as Hernandez 2.0 for Leeds due to his fantastic ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate at Championship level.
The £19k-per-week star joined Norwich from Brazilian side Sao Paulo in the summer of 2022 and has enjoyed two fantastic seasons in England with the Canaries so far.
Sara is a left-footed attacking midfielder who can play centrally or on the right of the attack, similar in position to Hernandez, and make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
Appearances
40
46
Goals
7
13
Assists
4
12
Big chances created
6
16
Key passes per game
1.7
2.6
As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old star had a solid first season adjusting to life in England before stepping up to be a fantastic operator in the 2023/24 campaign.
His statistics in the Championship last season are incredibly similar to Hernandez's in the 2018/19 campaign under Bielsa, when the Spanish whiz scored 12 goals, assisted a further 12, and created 16 'big chances'.
Sara, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed has a "magical" left foot, ranked within the top 4% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.26) and the top 6% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.29).
He also ranked within the top 5% of his positional peers for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.96) and the top 9% for progressive passes per 90 (6.67).
These statistics show that Sara is one of the best attacking outlets in his position in the Championship, as he has the quality to consistently make things happen at the top end of the pitch.
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Therefore, Farke must now swoop to sign the Brazilian whiz as his sublime quality in the second tier indicates that he could be the next Pablo Hernandez to hit double figures goals and assists in a single season for Leeds.