Striker revelation almost enough to force complete Leeds United transfer window rethink - YEP 25/8/22


Rodrigo's scintillating goalscoring start to the season is almost enough to force a complete rethink on the need for a new striker at Leeds United. Almost, but not quite.

By Graham Smyth

No-one, not even Rodrigo himself, had the Spaniard scoring four from the opening three before a ball was kicked or leading the Whites to a magnificent triumph over Chelsea with the captain’s armband adorning his bicep.

He did, however, set out with the intention of starting as a striker for Leeds this season in order to do the same for Spain at the World Cup, something few, if any, would have entertained as a possibility even as Jesse Marsch underlined Rodrigo's importance to the squad in the summer.

Instead, all hope and any talk of Qatar dreams centred around the returning Patrick Bamford, the man most missed among the many casualties of Leeds' war against injuries last season.

It was Bamford who was going to lead the line and remind everyone of his importance to the pressing game, his final third presence and the goalscoring knack that caught the 2020/21 Premier League by surprise.

That he picked up a niggle so early in the current campaign was no huge shock - any player sitting out for the length of time he did last season is going to find a return to regular football difficult, no matter how fastidious the management of his workload may be.

Leeds were extremely cautious over Bamford, they took every care over his summer programme and still he had to come off inside 30 minutes at Southampton with a groin issue.

Ordinarily, that very scenario would have left Leeds with no option but to go out and do what they have been threatening to do all summer and buy another striker. Rodrigo, however, is doing the extraordinary. He has been a revelation. He's doing something that very little, if anything, in his first two Elland Road seasons hinted was possible.

There have been flashes of his undoubted pedigree and turning points that all-too-quickly looked more like false dawns, but nothing resembling such a strong claim to the number nine role.

So important has he been to the opening three results that even if Bamford was fully fit for Saturday, there would be no guarantee of a start.

With Bamford nearing a return and Joe Gelhardt champing at the bit to ensure Kalidou Koulibaly is just the first of many victims this season, Leeds are in a good position when it comes to the forward line. Thanks almost entirely to Rodrigo, they're in a better position than almost anyone thought they would be, back in pre-season.

It could be that this position holds. Rodrigo's purple patch might go on, Bamford might hit a groove physically and put his treatment table time behind him to duke it out with his Spanish counterpart for a starting place and Gelhardt could easily stake a claim for far greater involvement. The trio could perhaps be enough to fire Leeds to a comfortable mid-table finish and render the great striker debate of 2022 obsolete.

The what ifs go both ways, however. Who can say how many starts Bamford will be in a position to vie for? Injury struggles that dogged Rodrigo for two seasons currently look to be far behind him, touch wood, but can he stay fit and stay firing? The same question applies to Gelhardt, a genuinely thrilling prospect for whom a bright, bright future awaits, but one for whom niggles – dead legs and a back issue - have been costly.

There's plenty of hope but no guarantees.

It would feel a common sense approach to get another in, particularly in the light of last season.

It's never that easy, of course, not when any striker worth his salt would only make a move in order to play and score goals. Any striker with the ambition you want in a player would look at Leeds' current situation and rightly question where his game time was coming from. Keeping everyone happy, even in a small squad, is a difficult task and there are only so many minutes to go around. As Marsch has stated, there could be a risk of hampering Gelhardt's development. Then there’s the finance. Goalscorers come at a premium and shelling out big money for a player who is likely to only contribute in emergencies is not wholly in keeping with the sensible financial operation Leeds have become under majority owner Andrea Radrizzani and CEO Angus Kinnear’s watch. This summer’s brief was not just giving Marsch the right tools for his job, it was signing players who can yet appreciate in value. If a striker who fits the stylistic and pecuniary profile isn’t available, settling for and spending big on another is likely a hard sell in a boardroom. High stakes gambling is easy for commentators and critics but less so for those buying the chips.

However, Leeds did, for a long time, want a striker. They wanted Eddie Nketiah, who for a short time was a tantalising free agent prospect, and they desperately wanted Charles De Ketelaere for so many good reasons, yet when he was taken off the table by AC Milan the pursuit of a forward still went on 'actively' according to Marsch.

Rodrigo's form may well have taken the edge off any desperation, but is it enough to change course and go all-in on the status quo?

The next week will be telling but it's all quiet on the forward front. Leeds say they are always alert to possibilities but feel at ease with their lot, right now. That's not to say you can rule anything out, as the out-of-almost-nowhere deadline day arrivals of Raphinha and, to a lesser degree Daniel James, proved. Fans can be certain that Victor Orta will have Leeds in position to strike should a presently unavailable target's reality change. That’s so often the way of it in the market. Pouncing on an opportunity to strengthen Marsch’s hand is the ideal scenario between now and September 1.

 Brenden Aaronson, Marc Roca and Tyler Adams have already put the director of football's summer window in a warm light and Rasmus Kristensen and Luis Sinisterra are expected to follow suit. Kristensen, tipped to hit the ground running hardest, is taking a little time to hit his stride. Niggles have prevented Sinisterra from getting up to full speed. There are no concerns at Leeds over either man, just confidence that they will prove to be acquisitions every bit as good as their fellow summer arrivals.

A shiny new striker, and a left-back for good measure, would allow Orta to bask in the glow of preparing Leeds for a rainy day by ticking every conceivable box.

The sun shines on Elland Road right now, but in Yorkshire they know to expect all kinds of weather.

Popular posts from this blog

The huge initial fee Leeds are set to receive for Crysencio Summerville’s move to West Ham — Leeds United News 31/7/24

Leeds United board break silence after transfer window with statement on upcoming Elland Road development — YEP 2/9/24

Leeds United transfer state of play as Whites knock back low bid and assert wing pair stance — YEP 3/7/24