Leeds’ most important player will not start under Farke again

While West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur continue to battle it out anxiously near the foot of the Premier League, Leeds United look comfortable in securing their survival future.

Indeed, it was another polished and confident display at Elland Road on Friday night from Daniel Farke’s men, as a 3-1 victory ensured an already relegated Burnley outfit.

Up to ten league wins this season, with a weighty 43 points to their name – a tally that has never resulted in a team being relegated in a 38-game campaign – Farke and Co.

A large part of that breathing room can be attributed to Noah Okafor’s dominant form…

Okafor continues his form for Leeds

It’s not clear yet, but if Okafor continues to perform as well as he has been doing, Leeds will be hoping to pick up another top three points in their May trip to Spurs, to add to that.

Indeed, Okafor now has four electric goals and one assist in his last five Premier League games, and the Swiss livewire is hitting his richest vein for the West Yorkshire side, at the perfect time.

He would score Leeds’ crucial second goal of the night against the Clarets, after Anton Stach had recovered from a loose ball, the one-time AC Milan striker volleying past a helpless Martin Dubravka to finish off the attacking move.

Along with scoring this crucial goal in the competition, Okafor would also collect two crucial assists, and win two tackles and duels as a real handful for the visitors from Lancashire to thwart.

If Leeds look back on the big league wins, when the Premier League campaign wraps up, they will be thanking their lucky stars that they shelled out £18m for Okafor, as he has come into his own in the No.19 shirt.

The 25-year-old’s breakthrough at Elland Road meant Leeds’ most expensive asset continued to rot on the bench, however…

Leeds’ most important asset may not start for Farke again

Alongside the signing of Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin continues to look like the smartest free taker, as the former Everton mark killed the competition with his 12th Premier League goal of the season.

Additionally, Jaka Bijol was a rock at the heart of the home team’s defence, and, with his £19m price tag, when he signed his services at Udinese, is now more than justified.

Unfortunately, however, all this new blood coming in and hitting the ground running has left the old guard feeling out of place at Elland Road, with Wilfried Gnonto in danger of falling further behind, thanks to Okafor’s goal-scoring form.

Indeed, the tricky Italian was once regarded as a key talent in West Yorkshire, where the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter dominated, with 17 goals scored in his last two seasons in the Championship.

Now, he is a bystander most of the time, with only four Premier League starts next to his name this campaign, as he was gifted one minute to play against Burnley, even as the game became a dead rubber.

This hasn’t deterred his valuation too much, however, with Football Transfers still generously hailing the former FC Zurich striker as Leeds’ most expensive asset – apart from loanee Facundo Buonanotte – at £22.5m.

With Okafor now a clear first-teamer, who has scored eight Premier League goals from 28 games in Switzerland, alongside Gnonto’s two Premier League goals from 44 games, the time may be right for a tie-up, especially if Leeds can get a healthy sum of money from the Italian’s sale.

It is said that he will also leave, and Everton is said to be willing.

It would be a sad end to Gnonto’s Leeds career, which started with so much promise, but now a new hero is being born under Farke, as Okafor’s crucial goals could keep the Whites in the Premier League for another season.