Leeds United are on a thrilling charge for a top-six finish, as Garry Monk's side eye a return to the top-flight of English football for the first-time since the club's surprise relegation in 2004, but last Friday's defeat to Brighton shows there is still work to do.
January business will be vital for the Yorkshire side and Monk will need to balance the books to ensure the club's finances stay intact, an area which has caused the Peacocks problems previously.
In order to keep things stable at Elland Road, Monk will have to oversee the exits of a few players within his squad to make room for new arrivals and, fortunately, there is some players in his ranks that can be pushed out immediately.
Here, we've identified TWO players that Leeds need to offload in the New Year and the outgoing business could help Monk secure some incoming deals.....
Charlie Taylor
A first-team regular at Elland Road, it may be tempting for Garry Monk to keep hold of young Charlie Taylor until his contract expires at the end of the season.
However, if they do so, Leeds will miss out on a fairly large sum of cash.
Whilst Leeds will be desperate to keep hold of Taylor, the 23-year-old has made it clear he doesn't intend to sign an extension to his current deal and that's backed Leeds into a corner.
Losing Taylor would be a blow but the money they receive could bolster Monk's transfer kitty next month, allowing scope for a replacement to be made.
Luke Murphy
The 27-year-old former Crewe captain has featured just once for Leeds this season, with his sole appearance coming in an EFL Cup victory over Luton Town way back in August, and it's clear he's surplus to requirements.
Previously a regular feature for Leeds, making 103 league appearances since signing three-years ago, Murphy is now no longer guaranteed the first-team football he craved and allowing him to leave the club in the New Year would be the right move.
With his age and experience, Murphy is still capable of shining at this level so Leeds could get a tidy sum for his services.