"Need to be looking elsewhere" - Leeds United urged against Plymouth Argyle, Bali Mumba agreement | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds United fan pundit has had his say on the links to Plymouth Argyle's Bali Mumba.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Plymouth Argyle utility man Bali Mumba.

Unsurprisingly, despite Plymouth's lowly league position, Morgan Whittaker remains a man in-demand amid the rejection of another bid from Burnley for his services, whilst Mumba has now emerged as a target for the table-topping Whites following fresh developments during the recent weekend of cup action.

It has been revealed that Leeds scouts were in attendance at the Gtech Community Stadium to cast an eye over the versatile Mumba, with Leeds United News breaking the latest regarding his future.

They state that the West Yorkshire outfit are considering a move for the 23-year-old's services. Mumba played the full 90 minutes against Thomas Frank's Brentford side in the left-sided wing-back role, but he has been utilised in a multitude of ways throughout his young career thus far.

He first broke through at Sunderland as a central midfielder but has operated on both flanks in recent years as a full-back, wing-back, or natural winger. Despite being naturally right-footed, he is deployed down the left more than the right as both a full-back and wing-back, but Mumba's age and versatility are clearly factors that will impress many Championship suitors and beyond.

The Leeds United verdict on Bali Mumba

We asked FLW’s Leeds United fan pundit Kris Smith for his thoughts on the potential signing, especially with Junior Firpo's contract expiring in June.

He said: "In the long-term, I think it's pretty obvious to most, that Leeds are going to have to start looking at least one new left-back because of Junior Firpo's contract.

"I think being proactive about that, in terms of scouting players like Bali Mumba, is a really good way to go about it. And having that sort of deal lined up for the summer.

"Having said that, I do think we need to be having a look at another full-back market to someone of Mumba's skill-set.

"He's definitely good enough to be an option for Leeds right now in the Championship, but Leeds' current ambition when looking at the January window is that we're hoping to be a Premier League team by the time Firpo needs replacing this summer.

"So, someone like Mumba probably won't be good enough for the team Leeds aspires to be in the summer, which is a Premier League team.

"Because, simply, we are going to have to do a lot more defending than we are attacking. So far, Mumba has proven that he is more of a wing-back that likes to get forward and play in the final third.

"That's rather than someone that can do well one-v-one. We do need someone athletic who can cover ground like him, but that also needs to be able to translate into their defensive qualities.

"I just think we need to be looking elsewhere."

Bali Mumba could be an interesting signing for Leeds and Daniel Farke

Mumba has plenty of the athletic attributes to thrive for any team, while being young enough to have the potential to improve and develop further before his peak years. Leeds, however, have a utility player that can fill in across numerous positions in Isaac Schmidt.

That said, Mumba has performed to a higher level in his career so far. Last season, the versatile player registered six goal contributions in 43 Championship appearances as Argyle escaped a return to the third tier on the final day of the season, and he has featured in all 25 league outings thus far, with his solitary assist coming against Preston North End in October.

Another factor to consider is where Farke stands on the player, having given Mumba his debut at Norwich after he signed him in July 2020 on a four-year deal from Sunderland. He has since impressed for Plymouth and developed well as a player, but could he go to another level and play for one of the division's elite sides?