Four possible options for Leeds United up front in the transfer window
Sunday highlighted the need for further acquisitions up front, so here are four choices for Leeds to look at in the next few weeks.
Last week I wrote about the importance of ‘effective recruitment’ at Elland Road during the window. One position that has slowly become high priority is up front.
Many Leeds United fans have been crying out for a new striker for weeks, or really, ever since Chris Wood was sold. But after a poor show from our strikers on Sunday, the discussion about who should come in is now on everybody’s lips.
The left back issue has been addressed with the imminent signing of Laurens De Bock from Club Brugge, so striker is the next key position, and for many, the one that must be addressed before the window closes.
So, here at Nowt For Second, we thought we would give a few suggestions on possible attacking options. Each of these names could fit in Christiansen’s XI. Let us know if we missed anyone through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Jordan Hugill
The Championship is a demanding league. You need players with character to drive the team through the relentlessness of the division.
I believe Jordan Hugill fits that demographic perfectly.
Hugill has made his way up from non-league football and shown at each stage of his career that he has the attributes to be a top striker. We need to have a striker who can link up with the defenders and score; Hugill’s size and goal scoring record support the fact that he has these attributes. He simply adds something we currently do not have.
Rumours have started to circulate about Leeds considering putting in a bid for the striker, and I think he would add perfect balance between the creative flair and the strength you need to be successful in the Championship.
Hugill is my top choice.
Jordan Morris
Jordan Morris is a young, talented USA international who has been ripping MLS defenders to shreds over the last two seasons. He was instrumental in the Seattle Sounders winning an MLS Cup in 2016 and once again reaching their domestic playoff final in December 2017. He has a decent record on the international stage for the World Cup-less USA, scoring five times in 24 appearances.
The chances of Leeds signing him (or Morris leaving his native Seattle) are very slim, but we do know that Orta likes to find diamonds from elsewhere and Morris has shown that he could be a real talent if he was given the chance. An England move could be just what he’s looking for to take that next step up before World Cup… 2022.
Matej Vydra
If you’re looking for a striker who can fire you to the Premier League, you don’t have to look much further than Matej Vydra. The Czech Republic international led the line for Watford wonderfully in the Championship.
This season at Derby he has once again found his form with 14 goals already and, at only 25 years old, he has clear Championship pedigree which, if nurtured correctly, could see Vydra could become a serious weapon in the division.
However, with Derby doing so well and Gary Rowett credited with improving the striker, I can not see him leaving Pride Park even as rumours swirl. Still, stranger things have happened.
Jack Marriott
We can judge a striker on various things: work-rate, link up play, defensive involvement and awareness amongst them. But the main thing we all require from a striker is goals, and Jack Marriott has scored a boat load of goals this season — 23 to precise for League 1’s Peterborough.
The benefit with Marriott is that not only does he score goals, he also ticks the boxes on the other standards we judge strikers on.
I do think, as you go through the divisions, the standard does rise considerably, and there is a big difference between the Championship and League 1. However, Marriott has shown he has the natural ability to score goals, and when a player possesses natural talent, he has a chance to be successful at the top level of the beautiful game.
A player of Jack Marriott’s talents will be given a chance somewhere, and in my opinion, he will succeed in the Championship when he is given that chance. I would prefer for him to succeed wearing the shirt of Leeds United.
Overall, I do think we will see further investment up front. The manner of the defeat on Sunday surely must have made Victor and Andrea sit up and realise the urgency of the problem.
I think we are already seeing a reaction with the news circulating about possible interest in strikers. So, hopefully, we will see somebody coming through the doors at Elland Road soon.
Let us know your thoughts on who Leeds should bring in on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. MOT.
