Leeds: Whites make striker bid
Leeds United have made an offer to sign a new striker with just weeks remaining of the summer window, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post’s
Graham Smyth.
What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?
The Whites have endured a frustrating summer both on and off the pitch, with a number of players activating clauses in their contracts to allow them
to leave on loan following relegation.
So far, Brenden Aaronson, Robin Koch, Max Wober, Marc Roca, Jack Harrison, Rasmus Kristensen and Diego Llorente have left the club on loan to
join Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Real Betis, Everton and AS Roma respectively, whereas Rodrigo and Tyler
Roberts have left on permanent deals to join Al Rayyan and Birmingham City.
On top of this, Leeds currently have 11 players out through injury, whereas Wilfried Gnonto is refusing to play as he looks to force a move away before
the deadline and Luis Sinisterra was also ‘not available’ last time out.
There hasn’t been an influx of players arriving either, with just four new signings made for manager Daniel Farke. Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, Sam
Byram and Joe Rodon have all made the move to Elland Road.
The club are yet to win a Championship game this season drawing against Cardiff City and losing to Birmingham City, and by the looks of things, the
49ers Enterprises are looking to sign a new striker.
Smyth shared a Leeds transfer state of player for The YEP in the last 48 hours, claiming that the club have Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara back on
their radar. The reliable reporter also added that ‘Leeds have lodged a bid for an as yet unnamed striker’.
Who has been linked with Leeds?
A new forward before the deadline appears to be desperately needed, especially with Patrick Bamford’s injury issues continuing into the current
campaign as he is yet to feature in any of the club’s three games, while club record signing Georginio Rutter is yet to get off the mark in Yorkshire
after joining in January.
Joe Gelhardt led the line against Birmingham City last time out, so adding to the final third is just one of many areas that could do with bolstering. A
number of players have been linked with making the move to Elland Road, including Swansea City’s Joel Piroe. Reports recently suggested that there
is a genuine interest in the forward, however, his £20m asking price is proving to be an issue.
Other targets mooted include Aston Villa’s Cameron Archer, however, Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has claimed that the player would prefer to
stay in the Premier League with Sheffield United and Luton Town keen.
Everton’s Tom Cannon is another who has been linked in recent days, with Alan Nixon claiming that Leeds have “been keeping an eye on
developments” alongside second-tier rivals Stoke City and Sunderland.
A bid has been made by Leeds for a forward, though, so it will be interesting to see who that is and whether or not the offer is accepted, making this
one to watch in the coming days.
Leeds: Charlie Taylor could be a Firpo upgrade
The Whites have been linked with a swoop for the Burnley defender this summer.
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has been able to make four additions to his first-team squad during the summer transfer window so far…
Who have Leeds signed this summer?
The Whites have brought in Joe Rodon, versatile midfielder Ethan Ampadu, goalkeeper Karl Darlow, and Sam Byram to bolster their defensive
options, and all three of the outfield arrivals featured in the 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City on Saturday.
Rodon was the most recent signing as the central defender joined from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan deal last
week.
There could be further movement in that area of the pitch, though, as the Yorkshire-based outfit were recently touted with an interest in Burnley full-
back Charlie Taylor, who could be available if the Clarets are able to source a replacement before next month’s deadline.
How good is Charlie Taylor?
The former Leeds academy graduate, who moved to Turf Moor from Elland Road in 2017, is a proven Championship full-back who also has bags of
Premier League experience.
He played 133 top-flight matches for Burnley and played a big role in their promotion back to the big time last season with 33 appearances in
multiple positions during the title-winning success.
Taylor, who can play at left-back or centre-back, could come in as a huge upgrade on current Whites flop Junior Firpo for Farke this season.
The former Barcelona dud has been linked with a move away from Yorkshire before the end of the window and it is not hard to understand why the
club want to jettison him from the squad when you consider his disappointing performances last term.
Firpo averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.55 across 19 Premier League outings, which was a worse score than a whopping 21 of his
teammates managed, and only won 50% of his physical contests throughout the campaign.
The 26-year-old liability failed to produce consistently impressive performances and failed to dominate opposition attackers when it came to
competing in battles to win the ball for his side.
Taylor, however, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over his 33 Championship matches for Burnley – a score that would have placed him
fourth within the Leeds squad – and won an eye-catching 63% of his duels.
The £27k-per-week dynamo, who was once described as “underrated” by journalist Josh Bunting, also produced solid displays in spite of his side’s
relegation during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 and came out on top in 62% of his battles.
These statistics show that Taylor performed to a significantly higher level within the context of the top-flight whilst his showings for the Clarets last
season in the Championship also prove that he can deliver quality on a regular basis for a team chasing promotion.
The versatile battler is capable of dominating attackers by using his physical attributes to come out on top in duels in a way that Firpo has been
unable to do for Leeds. Therefore, Farke could improve his defence by securing a deal to sign the English dynamo to replace the former LaLiga dud.
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