January is finally upon us, and Leeds are in a situation they probably didn’t expect to be in this summer.
The Whites are once again in the market for a backup striker due to the fact that Eddie Nketiah has been recalled by Arsenal after starting just two league games for the Whites since his arrival in August.
Fortunately, Leeds will have seen this one coming for a number of weeks, and there are contingency plans in place.
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What’s the story?
Towards the end of last month, we heard that Che Adams had become a target for Leeds if Nketiah is recalled.
The striker is now headed back to Arsenal, and that means the Yorkshire club may be tempted to make an approach for the Southampton man.
Unfortunately, landing Adams is not going to be all that straightforward.
“The word from down south is that Southampton want to get a striker in. If they do, it’s likely that Adams will become available. Leeds think they can compete for his signature (on loan) although it looks ever more like Bamford is a fixture up front. A mistake by Bielsa to start Nketiah this evening. Will Adams play? That’s a question he’d probably ask himself.” Phil Hay stated in a recent Q&A session on The Athletic.
Bad news for Leeds
Leeds will want to get a Nketiah replacement through the door as soon as possible as with every passing day they’re taking a risk by having Ryan Edmondson as Patrick Bamford’s understudy.
If Bamford picks up an injury, the Whites will be in trouble in the striker spot, so they’ll want to get their Nketiah alternative sorted imminently.
Unfortunately, signing Adams seems to depend on Southampton bringing in a striker. According to Sky Sports’ recent list of players the Saints haven’t been linked with, there is no out and out centre-forward, with Jarrod Bowen being the closest thing to a striker they’ve reportedly been looking at.
Of course, things can change quickly, but as it stands it seems as though Leeds won’t be able to sign Adams until later on in the window.
In other news, Adam Forshaw has revealed a surprising place where Marcelo Bielsa takes tactical tips from.
