Weston McKennie was brought in to strengthen Leeds United's midfield in January but so far it appears the USA international has had the opposite effect, and Javi Gracia must now consider dropping him for the relegation run-in.
Should Weston McKennie be dropped by Leeds?
The 24-year-old would join on loan from Juventus in the January transfer window, with the Yorkshire outfit even having the option to buy him for £30m at the end of the season.
On his current form, with Leeds looking in real danger of dropping back into the Championship, there seems very little chance that he will be signing a permanent deal at Elland Road this summer, with Football Insider reporting recently that McKennie's deal won't be extended, regardless of the division they find themselves in next season.
Saturday's 2-1 defeat against Fulham ensured that the Whites are just one point ahead of the relegation spots, having conceded 13 goals in their last three outings, taking no points.
McKennie, who earns £75k-per-week at Elland Road, has certainly been culpable for those heavy recent defeats, with his 6.46 average rating from WhoScored across his 13 Premier League appearances doing little to justify his price tag.
Gracia has obviously lost the influential Tyler Adams to injury which limits his options in midfield, but McKennie is now ranked as the 18th-best performer in the Spaniard's squad, which suggests that he certainly shouldn't be starting.
Despite his role as a central midfielder, the former Schalke man fails to rank in the top five Leeds players for tackles, key passes or dribbles per game this season, while he is also the third-most dribbled past player in the squad.
Yorkshire Post writer Leon Wobschall accused McKennie and midfield partner Marc Roca of "treading water" during the defeat to Liverpool and it is easy to see why, as the Reds were afforded the freedom of Elland Road, with counter-attacks proving incredibly damaging to the Yorkshire outfit.
It is far too easy for the opposition to run past the two Leeds defensive midfielders, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison and Crysencio Summerville not offering much defensive support in the attacking midfield and winger roles either.
Gracia may feel uneasy about unleashing the likes of Archie Gray or Darko Gyabi for the relegation run-in but given the American's awful displays since joining in January, it is surely time that someone else was given a go in the middle of the park.