Just nine days of the transfer window remain and if Leeds United are to make any acquisitions then the board will have to act quickly.

Daniel Farke has maintained that he will “stay awake” for opportunities in the market and this week set out the criteria he is using to search for potential recruits; quality of player, quality of character and affordability.

He also identified three areas that he would be open to reinforce ahead of deadline day on February 3, if everything aligned. Dissecting the ranks, it is clear to see why he is focusing attention on specific areas of his squad.

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Goalkeepers

Status: Well-stocked

Much has been made of Illan Meslier’s mistakes, and rightly so. Every point - and error - counts when a club is pushing for promotion. Such lapses cannot be excused in the Premier League.

So the summer might be a different story but with Farke throwing his weight behind Meslier as his No 1 for the rest of this season, United look in good shape numbers-wise with 34-year-old Karl Darlow an ample number two for this level.

Alex Cairns beefs up the numbers with all three not seeing their contracts expire until 2026. This is one area Farke is refusing to worry about.

Full-backs

Status: Well-stocked

Jayden Bogle is looking like the best right-back in the Championship right now and will be an important asset if United get promoted. Sam Byram has shown his quality on both flanks and deserves credit for his shifts as the fill-in left-back despite being a right-sided player.

Junior Firpo’s return is also great news for Farke, albeit will be mindful that both him and Byram are out of contract this summer, so decisions need to be made. Isaac Schmidt is a good fall-back in the event of an injury sprawl.

Central defenders

Status: Manageable

The good news here is that every option here has at least two-and-a-half years left on their deals. Pascal Struijk has Premier League experience and Joe Rodon has Europa League experience so both primary centre-backs hold weight.

But there is a problem in regards to back-ups. Max Wober’s knee problems are worrying Farke, so much so that - given Struijk’s recent injury history too - he is not ruling out a January move for a centre-back.

Ethan Ampadu can do, and has done, a solid job at centre-half and so that’s why the situation is manageable. But the boss has made it clear he prefers the Welshman in midfield and would rather him not play in defence long-term.

Central midfielders

Status: Well-stocked

Leeds look much stronger in midfield when Ampadu is present but Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have done fine while he has deputised in defence. Ilia Gruev’s relatively quick return, given the severity of October’s knee setback, is very handy while Josuha Guilavogui is an appreciated rotation option.

These numbers are set to dwindle in the summer as things stand though, with Guilavogui out of contract and Rothwell set to return to Bournemouth on loan. It’s doubtful that the current roster would cope in the Premier League too. But for now, the picture looks fine.

Attacking midfielders

Status: Needs reinforcement

This is one position Farke identified as a possible area for reinforcement in the transfer window. Currently, Brenden Aaronson is the only natural option there.

Farke has named Manor Solomon, Wilfried Gnonto and even Joel Piroe as fill-in options if required but none seem ideal. Aaronson has started each of the last 26 league games, operates in a busy area of the pitch and possesses a frantic style of play. Burnout is a real risk.

There is worry over how United would cope if the American was ruled out for a period of time. There’s a clear hole here.

Wingers

Status: Well-stocked

For now, anyway. Solomon is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur only until June and Daniel James enters the final year of his contract post-summer. Both players are in fantastic form, so much so that Largie Ramazani did not start against Norwich City despite scoring two in his previous two matches.

It’s clear Gnonto is not quite at top tilt in terms of end product right now but he has demonstrated his quality in the past. Like Ramazani, he has more than three years left on his deal. Any Championship manager would be jealous of Leeds’ wing options.

Strikers

Status: Manageable

Joel Piroe is by some distance the first-choice centre-forward, which isn’t necessarily the best thing - not because of any kind of bad quality but because it is better to have competition, especially as an attacker.

Mateo Joseph has not scored since October while Patrick Bamford’s last goal came in April. At 21, there is more of a case to trust in Joseph than Bamford, who is ten years his senior and has a poor injury record.

Joe Gelhardt may have scored on his second appearance for loan club Hull City but, simply, he was not getting a look-in under Farke.

This department borders on needing immediate reinforcement but with three strikers available to Farke when all are fit, plus Piroe’s eye for a goal, United can survive until May - but probably no longer.