This season, Davis has been a notable left-back in the Championship.
One of the most impressive defenders in the Championship this year has been Leif Davis.
Although the 24-year-old has played for teams like Leeds United and AFC Bournemouth in the past, who are vying to advance from the division to the Premier League, this season has been nothing short of extraordinary for the player and his present employers, Suffolk Town.
Many supporters of the second tier were introduced to the team of Kyle McKenna and their strengths after being promoted from League One, where Davis played a significant role, recording 12 assists and 14 great opportunities, before a ball was even kicked.
But both have taken the second division by storm. On Saturday afternoon, Ipswich won their fifth straight game, 2-0 at Plymouth, to take back second place for the first time in six games.
Leif Davis’ 2023/24 season to date
Out of players who have played in more than five games for Town, Davis has been the second-best performer according to Sofascore average ratings, however some of that can be attributed to Kieffer Moore’s immediate impact after returning to Portman Road.
With 25% of the season left, the full-back, who has started in all 32 of his Championship games, is poised to surpass his inventive stats from the previous campaign.
| Leif Davis’ Championship Stats – 23/24 | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 32 |
| Matches Started | 32 |
| Assists | 12 |
| xA | 7.67 |
| Big Chances Created | 11 |
| Key Passes per Game | 2.9 |
| Passing Accuracy (%) per Game | 80 |
| Clean Sheets | 7 |
| Interceptions per Game | 1.2 |
| Tackles per Game | 1.8 |
| Balls Recovered per Game | 4.7 |
| Dribbled Past per Game | 0.7 |
| Duels Won per Game | 3.9 |
| Average Rating | 7.32 |
| All stats as per Sofascore (Correct as of 04/03/24) | |
In fact, just to prove that he’s been Town’s ‘Mr Consistent’ ever since joining for approximately £1.2m from Elland Road back in July 2022, this season, Davis hasn’t dropped below a 7.0 average monthly rating since the first game of the season, where he registered the first of his 12 assists against Sunderland in a 2-1 win.
Despite scoring two own goals in crucial away encounters against fellow promotion hopefuls, Davis’ defensive statistics also prove he has the ability and dynamism to be such a vital cog in McKenna’s well-drilled machine, and they’ll hope he can make the step-up to the Premier League with them in the final two months of the regular season, or via the play-offs at a bare minimum.
Leif Davis claim made as trio of Premier League clubs circle
That’s because in recent days, links have emerged between Davis and his boyhood club, Newcastle United, as per TalkSport.
The aforementioned report also states that West Ham United are looking at bringing the full-back to the London Stadium, where he could replace former Ipswich left-back Aaron Cresswell.
This comes after the Hammers were also said to be weighing up a deal in the recent January window, before anything failed to materialise.
TWTD have also claimed that Nottingham Forest are keen admirers of the 24-year-old, in what could become a fascinating transfer saga in the coming months.
Here at FLW, we quizzed our Ipswich fan pundit, Henry, for his thoughts on the potential situation, as well as his personal valuation of the Ipswich star.
“In the summer, what do I think his valuation would be? I really do think it’ll be around the £15m-£25m mark,” he claimed.
“It seems a bit extortionate and a lot in comparison to when he signed for £1.2m two years ago from Leeds. But I think, for one, he’s English – so you get ‘English Tax’ on him, good left-backs are hard to find, as well as his ability on and off the ball.
“His athleticism is fantastic, the way he can deliver a cross is great. It’s not the same types either, it’s towards the back post, the whip around the front, the pull-back to the penalty spot, as well as being on set-piece duty,” Henry continued.
“He’s got a lot of great skills in his armoury, and I think a couple of add-ons which will move it to £25m, is what Ipswich should be looking at. We’re not in desperate need to sell him but I imagine that figure would work.”
GET MORE NEWS HERE