It's been a great season so far for Leeds United, with Garry Monk's side well within the race to earn a long-awaited return to the Premier League and the Peacocks looking ahead to tonight's FA Cup third-round draw, which could potentially hand the Yorkshire giants a huge tie.

All is looking good for Monk, who seems to have finally guided Leeds out of their traditional turmoil and into more stable footing, but there is still a lot of work to do in the second-half of the season if the club is to return to the top-flight for the first-time since 2004.

The January transfer window will be crucial for Leeds' season and the club will look to the Premier League for potential young talents to take on-loan, including the option of landing Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom until the end of the season.

Although he's not the biggest name on the market, Akpom presents an intriguing option for Leeds to pursue and we've identified TWO reasons why Monk should push for the youngster's signature.....

Extremely talented

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Chuba Akpom hasn't exactly caught the headlines in his previous loan spells with Hull City, Nottingham Forest, Coventry City and Brentford but now aged 21, Akpom has a fair amount of experience and will be determined to make his mark.

At his age, Akpom needs regular football and he will be aware that, as a striker, he needs goals and strong performances to succeed.

The fact that he's remained at Arsenal since 2002, rising through the club's academy, says a lot of Akpom's talents and he could find his feet in Yorkshire.

Potential long-term option

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Whilst an initial deal would be a temporary one for Leeds United and Chuba Akpom, lasting until the end of the season, Garry Monk's side could set the platform for Akpom to earn a permanent move to Elland Road further down the line.

Having turned 21 in October, Akpom will want regular football and he's still some way off achieving that at Arsenal, as he has the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck to contend with - and there's still the chance Arsenal could bolster their depth up-front further.

Akpom needs to make a decision on his future and it could work in Leeds' favour if they land a loan deal, with the club potentially benefitting in the same fashion that Wolves did previously with Benik Afobe - enjoying the youngster's strong performances before selling to Bournemouth.