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MOT View: Leeds must resist call from local outlet to pursue potential deal for 22y/o PL striker
If there is one issue that Leeds United will be hoping to remedy ahead of their potential return to the Premier League this summer, it will no doubt be their lack of a consistent goalscorer.
The Whites have hit 56 goals in the Championship this season – eight fewer than second-placed West Brom – but just 19 of those have come from recognised centre-forwards.
Eddie Nketiah and Tyler Roberts have both chipped in with three each, while Patrick Bamford has registered a further 13, and Jean-Kevin Augustin is yet to open his account in England.
But even though he has reached double figures this term, Bamford in particular has cut a frustrating figure at times.
The 26-year-old has taken 123 shots to reach 13 goals, as per Whoscored.
As a point of comparison, Sheffield Wednesday striker Steven Fletcher has reached the same total from just 68 efforts, as per Whoscored.
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You can only imagine that Bamford’s struggles in front of goal will be made harder by a jump up to the top flight too, and as such, reinforcements seem like a must this summer.
But one player who the Whites must not turn to is Dominic Solanke.
A recent piece from Leeds Live picked out the 22-year-old Bournemouth forward as somebody Marcelo Bielsa could look at in the coming months, especially if his current employers are relegated.
But Leeds need a proven goalscorer, and Solanke is anything but.
Despite having spells at Chelsea and Liverpool under his belt, as well as a senior international cap to his name, the forward has struck just two goals in 66 first team appearances in England.
So far this season, he has yet to find the back of the net in 24 Premier League outings for the Cherries.
Whichever way you look at it, those numbers are abysmal.
Solanke has also taken fewer shots per game, made fewer key passes, and has a lower overall pass completion rate this season than Bamford, as per Whoscored.
If we’re going to sign a striker this summer, it has to be somebody who improves on what we already have.
Solanke would arguably represent a step backwards.
In other Leeds United news, ‘He’ll be sold’ – Simon Grayson predicts summer exit for Whites big name if promotion is blocked.