Dean Jones has claimed on the Chasing Green Arrows YouTube channel that Leeds United’s lack of goal threat will be a concern for Jesse Marsch.
Leeds managed to maintain their Premier League status by the skin of their teeth after a dramatic final-day victory, however, things haven’t got much better in the off-season, with Kalvin Phillips having departed and Raphinha now nearing the exit door.
The Whites have, however, attempted to be proactive in the transfer market by recruiting six new faces thus far, although with none of them having any Premier League experience, it remains to be seen whether or not they can help the team improve.
Once Raphinha officially departs Leeds, that will leave a major hole in their attacking lineup – something Jones believes should be a big concern at Elland Road.
He said: “I think Jesse Marsch is really smart, and I think the way he’ll set up – especially early on, like, losing Raphinha is going to be a big blow in attack, so the thing I think they’ll be most concerned about is, ‘where are our goals coming from?’
Will Leeds sufficiently replace Raphinha?
Yes!
No!
“It was a big problem last season anyway with Bamford being out for so long. With Raphinha out of the equation, not knowing whether Bamford is going to be fit for however long, they’re going to have to keep it tight, because the chances are that Leeds are going to be in very, very tight games.”
TIF Thoughts on Leeds’ chances this season…
It has been reported that Leeds will pocket up to €68m (£57.5m) for Raphinha if all the add-ons are finally met by Barcelona, but considering they’ve already splashed out over £95m, it may not lead to the level of free-spending some might expect.
Last season, Raphinha often carried Leeds with important goals against the likes of Brentford and Crystal Palace, all while also enjoying a top personal campaign, netting 11 times and also teeing up his teammates three times, so replacing that contribution will be very difficult regardless of whether Patrick Bamford can stay fit – so we can see why Jones believes there may be some concern ahead of the new season kick-off at Elland Road.