Graham Smyth on the Leeds United transfer move that would make him nervous — YEP 28/1/26
By Mark Carruthers
There are just days to go in the January transfer window as
Leeds United look to add a striker to Daniel Farke's squad.
A striker is at the top of the agenda for Leeds United as
the January transfer window rapidly approaches its final days.
With just five days left to complete further deals, the
Whites have only added one new face to their ranks after securing a loan deal
for Brighton and Hove Albion attacking midfielder Facundo Buonanotte and the
Argentina international made his debut as a second-half substitute in Monday’s
draw at Premier League rivals Everton. There have been two outgoing loans after
Jack Harrison and Harry Gray agreed to spend the rest of the season with
Fiorentina and Rotherham United respectively and the latter made a mark with
his first senior goal in the Millers 2-1 home win against Northampton Town on
Tuesday.
For Leeds, the focus is now on securing the services of
another striker to provide competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and
Wolverhampton Wanderers frontman Jorgen Strand Larsen appears to be their
preferred transfer target. The Whites made an initial offer for the Norway
international last week - but that was rejected by their Premier League rivals.
A further complication over the deal is Crystal Palace’s reported interest in
Strand Larsen as they look for a potential replacement for Jean Philippe Mateta,
who is attracting interest from Nottingham Forest.
The YEP’s Graham Smyth believes the evolution of the Leeds
side should make them a more attractive proposition for a striker during the
final days of the transfer window - and admitted it would make him ‘nervous’ if
the Whites were unable to boost their attacking ranks before Monday’s 7pm
deadline.
Speaking on the most recent episode of the Inside Elland
Road podcast, the YEP’s chief football writer said: “Leeds, of all those clubs,
to me almost present the best bet. We are a Leeds United podcast so we are
almost duty bound to say that - but Leeds are the team that has one defeat in
the last ten and a bit of upward momentum. They’ve shown a progression as the
season has went on, it hasn’t been up and down, up and down. I think you can
see across the piece they’ve got better as a team, they’ve evolved tactically,
Farke’s evolved tactically. Of those teams, I almost feel Leeds is the most
attractive option if you want to stay in the Premier League.
“We will have to see how it shakes down and what Mateta does
to get the ball rolling and then we might be in for an action-packed last
couple of days in the window - or we might not. As we understand it, Leeds see
this (Strand Larsen) as a market opportunity so they’re not just going to sign
a random striker for the sake of signing a random striker if they don’t get
Strand Larsen. That would make me nervous, I have to say it would make me
nervous if they came out of this window without bringing in a backup nine. It
might be the case Nmecha could do it and Leeds will have enough going forward
even if Calvert-Lewin falls to an injury - but I would be nervous about that.”
