Leeds United brought in Daniel Farke to be their new manager after the club were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.
The Whites opted to back the German head coach in the transfer market as he was able to bolster his squad with a host of new signings.
Joel Piroe, Karl Darlow, Djed Spence, Ilia Gruev, Joe Rodon, Jaidon Anthony, Ethan Ampadu, Glen Kamara, and Sam Byram were all signed either on loan or on a permanent basis.
Those additions have played a part in Leeds' strong start to the 2023/24 Championship campaign as Farke has managed to excite supporters with his attacking brand of football.
The Yorkshire-based outfit are third in the table and six points off the automatic promotion places, with 20 goals scored in their opening 12 matches.
However, their most recent win – against Norwich City – provided Farke with another reminder of why he wanted to sign Kenny McLean, who has outperformed Kamara this term, during the summer transfer window.
Were Leeds interested in McLean?
Sky Sports reported (28/08/2023) that the Whites had an offer of £4m turned down by the Canaries as the German tactician attempted to secure a reunion with his former midfielder.
The Scotland international then revealed that the interest was 'put to bed' quickly and that he wants to be part of a third promotion to the Premier League with Norwich.
Shortly after Leeds' failed pursuit of his services, McLean put pen to paper on a contract extension at Carrow Road. His new deal is due to expire at the end of the 2025/26 season, with the option to extend it a further 12 months.
However, the Yellows have lost five of their last seven games in all competitions and Farke could look to test his former club's resolve again during the January window.
If Norwich's form does not improve then a promotion tilt could be out of the question and that could place McLean's future in doubt if Leeds remain on current form and are able to offer a realistic chance of promotion back to the Premier League.
Why were Leeds interested in McLean?
The £25k-per-week maestro played 114 matches in all competitions in four seasons under Farke's management during their time together in Norfolk.
This shows that the German boss relied upon the central midfielder as he was a regular fixture in his team, which led to the ex-Borussia Monchengladbach boss dubbing him as "irreplaceable".
McLean won two Championship titles with the Leeds manager and started 45 league matches across those two campaigns, which came in 2018/19 and 2020/21.
Appearances
105
Goals
Six
Assists
15
Promotions
Two
This shows that the former Aberdeen star knows what it takes to get promoted from this level and, crucially, is able to excel within Farke's system and would be able to hit the ground running as he already knows the division and what the manager wants from him in his position.
His quality in the Championship was on full display at Carrow Road on Saturday as the Scotsman outperformed Kamara in the middle of the park.
How did McLean perform against Leeds?
The 31-year-old ace caught the eye with a fantastic display against Farke's side over the weekend as he showcased his ability in and out of possession.
Norwich's captain anchored the midfield for David Wagner and his defensive presence allowed the impressive Gabriel Sara to venture forward and trouble Leeds, which led to a goal and an assist from the Brazilian whiz.
As per Sofascore, McLean ended the match with seven tackles, two interceptions, and two clearances for his side. No other midfielder on the pitch, for either team, made more than seven combined tackles and interceptions throughout the game.
The left-footed ace also created one chance and completed 82% of his attempted passes, which included six of his ten long pass attempts, as he displayed his quality on the ball.
These contributions earned him a Sofascore rating of 7.6, which was the fourth-highest of the match – behind Georgino Rutter (7.8), Sara (8.6), and Crysencio Summerville (9.4).
How did Glen Kamara perform against Norwich?
Kamara, on the other hand, recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.7 for his display against the Canaries as the summer signing from Rangers struggled to impress as much as the Norwich star.
The Finland international played 70 minutes and was substituted with the score at 2-1 to the Yellows as he failed to make a significant impact at either end of the pitch.
As per Sofascore, the central midfielder only won three duels – in comparison to McLean's 13 – and made one tackle and zero interceptions or clearances during his time on the pitch.
Kamara did complete 92% of his attempted passes but only two of them were long pass attempts. He also wasted a 'big chance' in front of goal as Rutter played him through only for the ex-Gers star to blaze wide of the post from the right side of the box.
These statistics show that the Finnish gem, who was beaten far too easily by Sara for Norwich's second goal, was outperformed by McLean on Saturday.
Should Leeds sign McLean?
Farke must now reignite his interest in the Canaries skipper as his performances, including the one at the weekend, have been more impressive than Kamara's at this level throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Kamara has played six times for the Whites this term and averaged 1.3 tackles and interceptions along with 1.3 ball recoveries per match and a duel success rate of 56% for his side, as per Sofascore.
McLean, on the other hand, has started all 12 of Norwich's games and caught the eye with his defensive presence in the middle of the park.
The experienced Scotsman has made 3.7 tackles and interceptions alongside 7.5 ball recoveries per outing, with a duel success rate of 66%, as per Sofascore.
These statistics suggest that McLean could be a big upgrade on Kamara due to his superior work out of possession, alongside his pre-existing knowledge of what Farke wants his midfielders to do on the ball.
Therefore, Leeds should attempt to snap the Scotland international up from Norwich during the January transfer window if the Canaries slip away from the promotion race.