Okafor is so important to Leeds United, but two drawbacks are stunting his progression

Noah Okafor; an eternal Leeds United cult hero that can frustrate many fans. What the winger did at Old Trafford back in April will forever remain in the minds and hearts of supporters.

For that alone, some would say the £18million fee was value for money. Okafor signed a four-year deal upon his 2025 arrival, and his bang-for-buck rating can only be truly measured at the end of that period.

But as Leeds fans sit here now, 14 months on from his signing, do they feel like the 49ers have paid a fair price as things stand? Okafor has scored some important goals for United since his arrival.

Aside from his famous brace against Manchester United, the winger has scored in wins over Burnley, Wolves (twice) and Nottingham Forest while getting the equalising goal against Chelsea in February’s 2-2 draw.

In fact, the only game in which he has scored and Leeds have lost was last year’s 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, this Saturday’s opponents. One could also be sceptical.

Burnley and Wolves were relegated last season, while Forest and Spurs also finished in the bottom five. At the same time, it is important to not forget that Leeds were newly promoted last season themselves - anyone who scored against any team was of value.

There is more gripe about his long-term exertion for Leeds. Not his effort - Okafor, nor any player, cannot be accused of such a crime - but rather his longevity in matches and fitness.

Okafor has only completed a full set of 90 minutes twice, and even in one of those games he was taken off in stoppage time. He has reached the 80-minute mark just four times in 36 Premier League appearances and his average game time when starting is 72 minutes.

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Of course, wingers often get changed more regularly than defenders, that is a given. Attackers use up more energy and fresher legs can unlock tired defences.

But in comparison to other wide attackers at Leeds, Okafor’s engine runs flat quickest. Since promotion, Brenden Aaronson - who naturally has a larger battery - has played 15 league games beyond the 80th minute and completed the full match seven times.

In this season alone, Anton Stach has completed four full sets of 90 minutes in the attacking wide 10 role, and has lasted past the 80-minute mark in his five starts there.

“He’s also a tall player, a very robust player, and a bit heavier than perhaps a lightweight winger who can handle the 90 minutes,” Farke explained of Okafor last month.

“To always be there for sprints is a bit more exhausting for him. But we want him to play with 100% on the pitch, and we don’t want him to rest for ten minutes here and there.

"It’s a strength of Noah’s that he’s so robust and can be so quick - with his physicality, he can also sometimes overrun players.

“But the price he has to pay is that he’s not like a lightweight who can run for 90 minutes. This is what we have to accept because you can’t have everything.”

And that is the underlying point, here. Leeds are not in a position to acquire the complete package in any attacking position. It is also perhaps why Okafor himself is not playing at a more-esteemed level yet.

Meanwhile, Farke admitted last season that it is just a fact that Okafor’s explosive style of play lends itself to more injuries. The 26-year-old missed eight Premier League games - nearly a quarter of the campaign - due to setbacks last term.

There were various other times too where he would begin a match on the bench having picked up an issue from a previous game or in training. That happened again for the goalless draw at Sunderland last month.

After he came on, he was in the thick of the action and would have got an assist for Sean Longstaff if Lukas Nmecha had not been in the way of his late-game shot. He had been a doubt to travel due to his adductor issue but made the squad in the end.

But in the final training session on Friday ahead of the trip to Bournemouth, his adductor - whether the same issue or a new one - caused him to sit out the game entirely. Leeds will assess the severity of the issue early this week.

In all, Okafor has missed 19% of Premier League matches since his arrival. And it is around this percentage that he averagely misses per game when taken off by Farke.

The manager has said he shoulders the blame for Okafor only scoring once past the hour mark since joining Leeds, citing how he always takes him off early. But there is a reason why Farke does so.

Perhaps in the modern game amid bigger squads, having a player who only lasts a certain portion of a match is acceptable. But then that places pressure on what he produces when he is on the field of play.

Nine goals and four assists in his 2,530 minutes across all competitions equates to a goal contribution every 194 minutes - or 2.1 full games. But Okafor does not play full matches.

In the Premier League, if we take his average game time of 72 minutes, then he gets a goal contribution every 2.2 matches (204 minutes).

So every third match he plays, he produces. Is that enough for £18m? In the modern climate, it probably isn’t bad and for a team in their second Premier League season, it is an acceptable ratio.

Yet still, many can see Okafor has the potential to reach higher consistency levels and at age 26 still has years to reach that point.

His availability, especially his adductor which has flared up more than once, and his stamina is stunting his ability to do this.

It’s important to underline that the player himself will be just as frustrated by his setbacks than anyone else. No professional footballer wishes to be injured.

But just as Farke has urged Daniel James - who started in Okafor’s wake at Bournemouth - to stay fit, the same can arguably be levelled at the Swiss talent.

Because he is the biggest creative spark for Leeds amidst a time when final third success is severely lacking. Not just for his sake, but also Leeds', Okafor needs to be on the pitch as much as he can be.