German head coach Daniel Farke was appointed by Leeds United over the summer and tasked with bringing the club back up to the Premier League.
The Whites were relegated alongside Leicester City and Southampton from the top-flight after three years at the top of the football pyramid.
They decided to swoop for the former Borussia Monchengladbach and Norwich City tactician and he has enjoyed a solid start to life in Yorkshire.
His side are currently third in the Championship and seven points adrift of the automatic promotion places with 27 matches still to catch up with and overtake Ipswich Town and Leicester.
Farke was allowed to shape the squad during the transfer window as nine players were brought in; including Joel Piroe, Ilia Gruev, Jaidon Anthony, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, Djed Spence, Ethan Ampadu, and Glen Kamara.
There could be further changes to the roster in January and at the end of the season as Leeds have a number of players heading into the final months of their contracts.
Jamie Shackleton, Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Ian Poveda, and Luke Ayling are among those whose deals are set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Ayling is now in his eighth season at Elland Road and BBC Sport's Adam Pope recently suggested that it looks like it may be his last.
Farke could now land a dream replacement for the veteran defender in January as the German boss has been touted with an interest in a current Championship right-back.
Leeds transfer news – Trai Hume
TEAMtalk recently reported that the Whites are one of a number of teams interested in signing Sunderland star Trai Hume at start of next year.
Premier League side Burnley, who won the Championship last season, and Leicester City, who currently top the second tier, are also said to be keen on a deal for the Northern Ireland international.
Sunderland signed the defender from Linfield in his home country for a reported fee of £200k in 2022 and he has now established himself as an excellent performer at this level.
Leeds are one of the three teams, alongside Burnley and Leicester, keeping close tabs on the talented young titan and the report claimed that the Black Cats could be tempted into a sale.
It did not reveal how much it would take to convince Kristjaan Speakman to accept an offer for the right-back's services but did claim that the Wearside outfit could be interested in the chance to make a significant profit on the initial £200k they Linfield to sign him last year.
The Whites must now push to beat Burnley and Leicester to his signature as Hume could come in as a big upgrade on Ayling and as a dream replacement for him, given that he is currently set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Ayling's season in numbers
It has been a strange season for the 32-year-old defender as he started the season as a regular starter and produced some solid performances before 17-year-old midfielder Archie Gray secured his position.
Ayling has started eight Championship matches so far this term but only one of those has been since September and his last was on the 4th of October.
The English battler has made 14 league appearances in total and contributed with one goal and one assist as an attacking outlet down the right.
However, he has struggled to provide a consistent progressive presence at right-back. Ayling ranks within the bottom 24% of right-backs for progressive passes (2.88) per 90 within the Championship this season. This suggests that the former Bristol City man has not offered much quality in possession of the ball.
Ayling has also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions combined along with 3.6 ball recoveries per match, to go along with his duel success rate of 53%.
His contributions, or lack thereof, resulted in Farke leaving him out of the matchday squads for the wins over Swansea and Middlesbrough over the last week.
The head coach revealed that it was a difficult decision for him to make due to the player's exceptional character and professionalism behind the scenes.
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Djed Spence returned to the bench and Gray started both games at right-back, despite being a natural midfielder.
The signs, including his contract, the interest in Hume, Farke's use of him, and his performances on the pitch, suggest that his time at Elland Road is coming to an end.
The statistics that show why Hume could be a dream replacement for Ayling
Leeds now have an opportunity to secure a dream replacement for the veteran defender by securing a deal to sign the Sunderland starlet in January, or at the end of the season.
His performances for the Black Cats indicate that he would come in as a big upgrade on the 32-year-old enforcer, and the gem could hit the ground running given his Championship experience.
Hume would not come in from another league or country and need time to adapt to the division, which could allow him to make an instant impact on the pitch during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 21-year-old whiz, firstly, could provide more progression down the right flank. He currently ranks within the top 21% of right-backs for progressive passes (5.02) per 90 in the second tier this term.
This shows that the young gem, who FBRef claim is most similar to Leicester star Ricardo Pereira, could offer more incision with his passes to progress Leeds up the pitch in comparison to Ayling.
Ricardo Pereira
1
Callum Doyle
2
Perry Ng
3
Harry Pickering
4
Harry Clarke
5
Hume has also caught the eye with his defensive contributions as the 5 foot 9 machine has made 4.7 tackles and interceptions combined and made 5.9 ball recoveries per game across 19 starts.
Meanwhile, no Leeds player has managed more than Ethan Ampadu's 3.6 tackles and interceptions combined per match and this suggests that the Sunderland titan could be an outstanding defensive option for Farke, due to how often he is able to cut out opposition attacks to win possession back for his team.
Therefore, Hume, who was once dubbed "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting, could be a dream replacement for Ayling and offer more at both ends of the pitch.
