The stats that show what Brenden Aaronson will bring to Leeds United

Leeds United have announced their first signing of what should be a busy summer for director of football, Victor Orta

After a horrible season which saw the club only secure Premier League survival on a dramatic final day, Leeds United have acted quickly to seal their first signing of the summer. Within hours of their final game at Brentford - a 2-1 win which saw them retain their top-flight status at Burnley’s expense - it emerged that a deal was in place for Brenden Aaronson, and the signing was announced last week, as the American international joined the club from RB Salzburg for a fee thought to be around £25million. 

That fee makes the 21-year-old the second most expensive American of all time, after Christian Pulisic. It surely means that he will become an important player for Leeds next season, as they look to climb the after the disappointment of following up a ninth-placed finish with a relegation battle. 

Many will be wondering, what have Leeds bought with their money? Can Aaronson make the step up to the Premier League?

Firstly, here’s an exploration of his best attributes:

High intensity running

Aaronson is a tireless runner, in and out of possession. When his team has the ball, he will be constantly on the move, looking to run in behind the opponent’s defensive line and to get into the penalty area. This is particularly important in a team like Leeds, who want to utilise fast counter attacks. Runners in behind are vital to cause chaos in opposition defences.

He stands out as a relentless presser out of possession, as shown by the fact that during his Champions League appearances for Salzburg, he pressed 27.23 times per 90, enough to be ranked in the 99th percentile for attacking midfielders and wingers, according to fbref. 

Tactical fit

Leeds began their period under Jesse Marsch’s management by playing a narrow 4-2-2-2 formation, which they switched from after only a short number of games. The 4-2-2-2 was his formation of choice when he managed RB Salzburg, but Leeds’ squad was far more comfortable playing with width, having done so for so long under Marcelo Bielsa and with players like Raphinha, Dan James and Jack Harrison all naturally wingers. 

As Aaronson spent six months playing under Marsch at Salzburg, he is much more comfortable in one of the ‘narrow winger’ positions in the 4-2-2-2 and could be utilised there from the start of his time at the club, should Marsch opt to bring the formation back in pre-season. 

In fact, in his 19 league games under Marsch, Aaronson played in this position every single time, according to Transfermarkt. This season, he has played more as a single attacking midfielder behind two strikers, so he would also be suited to that role in the 4-2-3-1 that Marsch reverted to in Leeds’ later games, or should he try the 4-4-2 diamond that Salzburg have played since he left the club. 

Goal contributions

The Whites have primarily lined up with Rodrigo playing as their attacking midfielder since they signed him from Valencia in the summer of 2020. However, his performances have been largely disappointing, despite a purple patch in each season. 

Leeds will hope to get more output from their new signing, as Rodrigo has average 0.3 goals per 90 and 0.07 assists per 90 at Elland Road. This add together to 0.37 goal contributions per 90. Meanwhile, Aaronson’s 0.23 goals and 0.27 assists give him a figure of 0.5 goal contributions per 90. However, it’s worth noting that whilst Leeds will hope that is something he can reproduce in the Premier League, he will be playing in a more competitive league for the first time and doing so in a team which is more often an underdog, compared to a dominant side in Salzburg. 

This leads us to the final question:

Can he make the jump to the Premier League?

One area which many players moving from foreign leagues struggle with is a lack of physicality. Aaronson will certainly have the fitness and speed, although he may need to adjust to the strength of Premier League defenders as he can be knocked off the ball too easily. 

His game also centres a lot around running into open space. When Leeds face teams that they can counter attack against, he will likely be at his best. However, his best attacking weapons will be nullified in games where Leeds are denied space to run into. 

Aaronson was certainly ready to make a step into a top league. However, the question is whether he can hit the ground running in making that step. After such a poor season, Leeds may well need him to.