Pundit Tam McManus has claimed that Chris Wood potentially returning to Leeds United would not be a good signing.
Wood once plied his trade at Elland Road, where he scored 44 times in 88 games whilst Leeds were in the Championship before securing a Premier League switch.
Leeds were recently linked with a January loan move for their former star, with Patrick Bamford struggling for fitness and the club currently 15th in the Premier League.
However, speaking to Football Insider, McManus claimed that a deal to sign him from Newcastle United wouldn’t be a smart move given his own lack of form and that the club should aim for someone younger.
He said: “If you are going to spend the money on Wood, it will take a lot to get him out of Newcastle, I don’t get that.
“Newcastle paid a lot of money for him last January and they will want some sort of return on that; they won’t let him go for nothing.
“If you are going to spend that money, then surely you want someone a bit more consistent? Maybe someone younger because Wood is at the end of his career.
“On one hand, I get it. But surely there are better ways to spend that money? He doesn’t fit the profile Leeds have been targeting recently.”
TIF Thoughts on Wood and Leeds…
The New Zealand international, who has been hailed as an ‘absolute beast’, joined Eddie Howe’s side for around £25m last year, but has managed just four goals in 33 games, and has now fallen down the pecking order behind Callum Wilson and summer signing Alexander Isak.
It is clear that the 31-year-old could benefit from a move that could even prove useful for Leeds as they bid to stay up, but we believe the overarching point McManus makes is a valid one.
Leeds have targeted younger talents in recent windows, potentially with an eye on resale value and future potential, with all bar one of their summer arrivals aged 25 or less.
Signing an ageing striker whose best days are perhaps behind him wouldn’t fit this policy, while Wood may not have the mobility in him to fit the intense style employed by Jesse Marsch.
That said, a loan to add a Premier League-proven goalscorer may not be the worst idea, but an expensive permanent deal wouldn’t be good in the long run.