OPINION
When Leeds United sanctioned the shock temporary exit of midfield maestro Samu Saiz before the opening of the January window, many fans would have been left wondering where the creativity in the middle of the park would be coming from.
Their worries have been well warranted, with a lack of cutting edge shown by those in midfield over the last couple of games, much of the service in attack coming from out wide through the wingers.
As such, the supporters might well have been wondering whether manager Marcelo Bielsa would be dipping his toe into the transfer market this month to find a replacement for the Spaniard but a training ground reveal shows the man to fill the void could already be at Elland Road.
Step forward Tyler Roberts, the former West Brom man who has suffered a difficult time since signing for the Whites this time last season.
Originally signed as a striker, he has found himself moved all around the pitch by Bielsa, operating as a centre forward, a winger and even a central midfielder – but it appears as though he has been training as an attacking midfielder behind the scenes.
He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “Over the past month or so when I’ve been training I’ve been in and around that No. 10 or 9 role so it’s just switching it up. I do like playing there as it gives me more freedom to come into pockets and receive the ball.”
Why splash the cash when you can fill a gap with a player already at your disposal?
That will be the question Bielsa would have been asking himself and the fact Roberts himself admits he enjoys playing in that reserved attacking role means it is a good match.
Fans hoping to see a Saiz replacement join this month are likely to be disappointed for the manager looks to already have his man in place – whether he can do a decent job on match day remains to be seen.