Nigerian striker Jerry Mbakogu has reached an agreement to join Leeds United, according to a reliable journalist.
Sky Sports Italy correspondent Gianluca Di Marzio has reported on his personal website that the Championship giants are in the advanced stages of a deal to sign the centre-forward from Serie B promotion hopefuls Carpi.
Di Marzio explains that Mbakogu, 25, has said “yes” to making the move to Leeds and there is a rough agreement between the two clubs of a fee of around £3.5million.
It is said that the deal is most likely to go through in the summer transfer window as Carpi do not want to lose the Nigerian this month.
Scouts from the Yorkshire giants were present to watch Mbakogu star for the second tier Italian club in their 2-1 win against Spezia Calcio at the Stadio Sandro Cabassi over the weekend.
The talent spotters from Leeds watched as the ex-Padova forward got on the score sheet in the 69th minute to take his haul for the campaign to seven goals in 19 appearances.
The Nigerian has scored 38 goals in 136 Carpi matches as well as supplied 20 assists.
The club are ninth in Serie B and only behind Venezia in the final play-off spot on goal difference.
OPINION
Mbakogu may not be a name that is familiar to Leeds fans craving a centre-forward proven in the Championship and able to hit the ground running in the team’s pursuit of a play-off spot in the second half of this season. But he has a decent record in the Italian second tier, is at an age when he is approaching his football peak and it has been reported by various Italian sources that he has the benefit of an Italian passport after his family moved to the country at an early age, which means there would be no work permit issues. Given that Di Marzio is renowned as the foremost transfer expert in football journalism, it is safe to say that Leeds are close to getting this deal done, although Mbakogu would not arrive until the summer.