OPINION
Leeds must keep Chris Wood firing by offloading Marcus Antonsson this summer and bringing in a striker that can keep the pressure on the New Zealand international.
Antonsson, 26, should be offloaded by the Yorkshire giants after scoring three goals all season and failing to feature since January. Hibernian forward Jason Cummings would be the perfect replacement.
Here, This Is Futbol identified how Cummings could improve Leeds’ chances of achieving Championship promotion instead of Swedish forward Antonsson.
Keep Wood on his toes
Leeds’ number nine, Wood, scored a huge 30 goals in all competitions last season, almost single handedly carrying the Whites to within a whisker of qualifying for the Championship play-offs. Behind Wood, sat Pablo Hernandez, Kyle Bartley and Souleymane Doukara on just six goals, underlying Wood’s importance to the side. Keeping him on his toes and scoring goals is crucial to Leeds’ hopes of going one better in order to end their 13-year wait outside the Premier League next season and bringing competition in the form of Cummings will help Leeds do that.
Promotion experience
Cummings scored a huge 23 goals and added another seven strikes in assists for Neil Lennon’s Hibernian side this season, firing Hibs towards the Scottish Premiership as they went up as champions of the second division. That form and promotion experience would see Leeds sign a striker that knows what it takes to maintain a promotion push. The eight-time Scotland Under-21 international’s knowledge of being in a side that has dealt with the pressures of being at the top for the whole season will rub off on Leeds players next season, and that could see the Whites finally return to the top flight.
Just 21 years of age
Hibernian’s number 35 has proven that he is one of the best up-and-coming talents to be produced in Scottish football of late, with a huge 149 league and cup appearances already under his belt despite being just 21 years of age. In those matches, the Hibs academy product has found the back of the net a huge 71 times for Lennon’s side as well as laying on 23 assists and that conversion rate would see him be successful down south if given the game time and patience to adapt to the rigours of Championship football. Sign Cummings, sell Antonsson, and Leeds could have a real shot at promotion next season.