Leeds United endured a disappointing 2022/23 campaign as they were relegated from the Premier League and dropped back down to the Championship.
The Whites enjoyed three seasons in the top-flight after their promotion from the second tier under Marcelo Bielsa at the end of the 2019/20 term.
They were unable to achieve safety in the third campaign and they lacked a consistent creative threat at the top end of the pitch throughout the year after Brazilian winger Raphinha moved on to sign for Barcelona.
The Spanish giants swooped in to sign the talented ace for a reported fee of £55m in the summer of 2022 and the club are yet to fully unearth their true replacement for him, just over a year later.
However, current head coach Daniel Farke has a player within his ranks who has the potential to develop into a Raphinha-like figure at Elland Road – Daniel James.
Who recorded the most assists for Leeds last season?
Whilst the Wales international was on loan with Fulham, Jack Harrison ended the 2022/23 campaign with the most assists for Leeds as he racked up seven in the Premier League.
The former Manchester City prospect provided 1.5 key passes per game for the Whites and no other player within the squad made more than 1.3 per outing.
This came after Raphinha had produced ten ‘big chances’ created and 1.9 key passes per match throughout the 2021/22 Premier League season.
The Brazil international also showcased his outstanding creativity during his debut year in English football. He assisted nine goals and created 12 ‘big chances’ for his teammates to go along with 2.1 key passes per game across 26 top-flight starts.
These statistics show that Leeds missed his creative quality last season as they were relegated down to the Championship without a player who could open up the opposition’s defence as regularly as Raphinha was able to for the club.
How many chances has James created this season?
So far this term, James has created 13 chances for his teammates in six Championship appearances, with one of his outings coming as a substitute.
No Leeds player has managed more than his 2.2 key passes per game this season for Farke’s side and he has two more assists (four) than any of his teammates.
The English-born whiz, who scored nine goals in 74 outings for Manchester United in all competitions, did also create five ‘big chances’ and assist four goals in 31 Premier League starts during his first season with Leeds in the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics suggest that James has been able to take his game up a notch at a lower level in the Championship, as he found it too difficult to deliver quality on a consistent basis in the top-flight for the Whites.
