Speaking recently on the TIFO Football Podcast, The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent, Phil Hay, discussed some of the club’s attacking transfer targets.
Following the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa two years ago, it is a fair comment to make to say that the Argentine manager has turned the club’s fortunes around, having guided them to a third-place finish in his first season in charge, before his side romped home to win the title in his second year at the helm, ensuring that Leeds would be playing Premier League football for the first time in 16 years.
However, the club’s top goalscorer last season was Patrick Bamford, with a respectable but not breathtaking 16 Championship goals, and questions have been raised about whether or not the striker will be able to cut the mustard in the Premier League next season.
It is indeed no secret that Leeds have been in the market for a new forward, with the club said to have agreed a deal with Valencia for their striker Rodrigo Moreno, while having also been linked with Brentford’s Ollie Watkins, Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi, and Rangers’ Ryan Kent.
These targets were the subject of discussion on a recent episode of the TIFO Football Podcast, with Hay providing an update on where the Whites are with some of their targets.
He said: “They need a centre-forward. They do like Ollie Watkins at Brentford. They like Batshuayi down at Chelsea, although that one doesn’t seem to have made an awful lot of progress.
“Aside from that, they do want another winger [and] a number 10 [attacking midfielder]. They’ve bid for Ryan Kent at Rangers. The first offer has been turned down but they’re very tempted to go back with a second.
“He is the sort of footballer who could cover multiple positions and so if they were to get somebody like him, they’d have a winger there, they’d have someone who does play at 10, albeit as part of two number 10s with [Steven] Gerrard at Rangers.
“So, they don’t actually have that many boxes to tick and they don’t have that many positions to fill, but we are talking now three weeks until the season starts and we’re yet to see one cross the line at Elland Road, so they really, really need to see some progress now.”
Should Leeds sign Ryan Kent this summer?
Yes, get him in
No, don't need him
TIF Thoughts…
From Hay’s comments then, it would appear as if Kent is the most likely of the players mentioned to actually make a move to Elland Road this summer, considering the fact that it now looks like the club has indeed gone on to agree a deal with Valencia for Rodrigo Moreno.
However, for now, we will simply have to wait and see whether Leeds do go in with another bid for the winger.