Leeds United enjoyed a relatively quiet January transfer window as they ended it with just the one addition to Daniel Farke's first-team playing squad.
The Whites secured a deal to sign right-back Connor Roberts on loan until the end of the season from Premier League side Burnley, having been promoted as a winner from the Championship last term.
That came after Djed Spence was sent back to Tottenham Hotspur earlier than expected from his loan at Elland Road, and Luke Ayling was allowed to join fellow second division side Middlesbrough in search of more regular game time.
Farke did not need to change much in his squad after being backed by the club last summer with the signings of Ethan Ampadu, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Ilia Gruev, and Jaidon Anthony, among others.
Ampadu may have been brought in to finally fill the void left by Kalvin Phillips' departure to Manchester City in the summer of 2022 in the holding midfield position but he has recently caught the eye in a different role.
Ampadu's positional change
An injury to Pascal Struijk has forced the Wales international to be utilised at centre-back next to compatriot Joe Rodon and he has seamlessly transitioned into that position with ease.
The versatile enforcer has started five of the club's last six games in all competitions at the heart of the defence and Leeds have kept four clean sheets and conceded one goal in those five matches.
Playing in this position has suited his game as Ampadu has the pace to recover the ball regularly when teams attempt to play in behind and down the channels to stretch the defence.
His terrific passing ability also means that having the game in front of him at all times allows the former Chelsea gem to dictate play in possession.
Ampadu currently ranks within the top 13% of Championship midfielders for pass success rate (87.3%) and in the top 44% for progressive passes (4.80) per 90, which shows that he is reliable on the ball and able to progress the play for his side to find teammates in dangerous positions.
Leeds have won all four of the Championship matches that Ampadu has started at centre-back in 2024, with three clean sheets and one goal conceded, and they appear to have found the recipe for success with him and Rodon as a pairing.
If performances and results continue on the same track, it will be increasingly difficult for Struijk to win his place back in the side as it is hard to argue with the current structure at the back.
Ampadu's transition to centre-back has also opened the door for Gruev to finally earn regular minutes in the first-team since his summer move from Werder Bremen.
The Bulgaria international has been in impressive form at the base of the midfield since coming into the team and Farke could now unearth the club's Phillips 2.0 in the exciting gem.
Kalvin Phillips' Championship brilliance for Leeds
The England international played a pivotal role in the club's promotion to the Premier League from the second tier under Marcelo Bielsa in the 2019/20 campaign.
He started 37 of their 46 league matches and caught the eye with his impressive play in the middle of the park, thanks to his contributions on and off the ball.
Phillips ranked within the top 5% of Championship midfielders for passes attempted (63.75) per 90 and made 5.48 progressive passes per game to push his side up the pitch by finding his teammates in dangerous positions.
The now-West Ham United loanee also made an impact at the other end of the pitch with his strong defensive work at the base of Bielsa's midfield.
He averaged 2.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 54%, which shows that the talented gem came out on top in more duels than he lost throughout the campaign.
Phillips ranked within the top 18% for both tackles (2.71) and interceptions (1.41) per 90 among midfielders in the Championship that term as he displayed his ability to cut out opposition attacks on a regular basis.
Gruev's emergence at Leeds
Farke now appears to be on his way to finding the club's next version of the England international as Gruev has emerged as an impressive figure in midfield for the German tactician in recent weeks.
The 23-year-old dynamo had to bide his time and wait patiently over the first few months of the campaign as Glen Kamara and Ampadu had nailed down their respective places in the team.
He has now started five of the club's last six Championship matches and is finally making his mark on the side with excellent displays for the Whites.
Like Phillips, Gruev is a strong defensive midfielder who can put his foot in to stop opposition attacks whilst also being reliable and progressive in possession to help his team to build attacks.
The Bulgarian whiz currently ranks within the top 3% of Championship midfielders for his pass success rate (90.6%), and the top 15% for passes attempted (63.61) per 90, whilst he has also made 4.88 progressive passes per 90.
This shows that the young talent has the quality on the ball to rarely give possession away to the opposition, as very few other players in his position complete a higher percentage of their passes in the division.
Tackles (2.44)
Top 18%
Interceptions (1.37)
Top 22%
Blocks (1.07)
Bottom 45%
Progressive passes (4.88)
Top 43%
As you can see in the table above, Gruev excels at making tackles and interceptions to cut out opposition attacks at source to prevent Illan Meslier from being worked.
The former Werder star has, therefore, showcased his qualities in and out of possession with his exceptional passing at the heart of the midfield as well as his tough-tackling, ball-winning, exploits.
Gruev, who analyst Ben Mattinson recently hailed as a "revelation" for Leeds in a double pivot with Kamara, has also won 53% of his duels across 15 Championship appearances, which shows that he can hold his own in physical contests.
Overall, Ampadu's transition to centre-back has allowed the £15k-per-week maestro to flourish in midfield and Farke now has the chance to unearth the club's new Kalvin Phillips with another reliable passer and tough-tackling ace emerging at Elland Road.