Leeds United's need to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window is 'blindingly obvious', according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds short in midfield

It has been a disappointing first three months of the season for Marcelo Bielsa's men, who are threatening to get sucked in a Premier League relegation battle.

One area where have been lacking is in midfield, with Kalvin Phillips perhaps relied upon too much and the Leeds hero missing three of their league games, with the team yielding just one point from those matches.

The likes of Jamie Shackleton, Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw have operated there, but with the latter not long back from a two-year injury layoff, the centre of midfield is a position where the Whites are rather threadbare.

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The Latest: Hay calls for new signing

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Tuesday ahead of Leeds' clash at home to Crystal Palace, Hay implored the club to try and bring in another player in the middle of the park during the January transfer window.

He wrote: "As for recruitment, I said last week that some business in January would make sense. It doesn't have to be huge amount or hideously expensive but it's been pretty comprehensively shown, for example, that without Bamford it's not clear who should be at nine. And they do need another [in] midfield. That's blindingly obvious."

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The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Central midfield is a vital area of the pitch for any team in terms of controlling the game, so as Hay has hinted, it is imperative that reinforcements are made in that area at Leeds, or at least that valid attempts are made at doing so.

Someone like reported transfer target Nahitan Nandez, who has won 49 caps for Uruguay and averaged 2.1 tackles per game for Cagliari in Serie A this season - more than Klich (1.3) - would be an ideal addition, bringing more quality and depth to Leeds' midfield.

With Phillips' long-term future also up in the air, the Elland Road may need to be eyeing up possible replacements for him as well, sad as that may be to accept.

In other news, Danny Mills has criticised one Whites player. Find out who it is here.