Leeds United transfer update as move lined up for record-chasing Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia
Boulaye Dia’s transfer hopefuls are starting to line up ahead of the summer transfer window with Leeds United well involved, la Citta di Salerno reports.
The 26-year-old is proving a great success on loan in Serie A and is now one league goal shy of Salernitana’s single-season scoring record in the Italian top flight, which has stood for 24 years.
With a 12th strike before the end of the season he will equal Marco Di Vaio’s record set in 1998/99, and a 13th will set a new mark, with his move from Villarreal expected to be made permanent for £10.6million, potentially before immediately being sold on for a profit.
While the forward, who has six assists to go with his 11 league goals, is focused on breaking records his transfer “suitors” are “starting to line up”.
The Whites and Premier League rivals Everton are named as long-term admirers, having been on Dia’s case since before the World Cup, while AC Milan are now also studying him.
Another one?
Leeds United have quite a fixation with versatile attacking options who can play off or around a number nine, and Dia looks like another in the exact same mould.
He has scored his goals this season while playing in a two up front, as a wide forward, or in attacking midfield, and in that sense occupies a similar role to what Rodrigo has done, at times to great effect, this season.
Yet Victor Orta shelled out a club-record fee in the January transfer window for another second striker in Georginio Rutter, while the likes of Willy Gnonto and even Brenden Aaronson can already fulfil similar roles.
The Whites’ myriad offensive options, with Jack Harrison, Crysencio Summerville and Luis Sinisterra also part of the supporting cast, are often used to greater effect when they have Patrick Bamford as a reference point in the middle.
The only true number nine in Javi Gracia’s senior squad, but so often afflicted by injury issues, it is surely he who requires a back up option, rather than another man to play off him.
In isolation plenty of the players who have arrived at Elland Road in the past year have quality, the fact that Leeds are clinging to Premier League safety shows that the overall picture hasn’t been put together properly.
Bamford’s absences have a big negative effect and whoever is in charge of the transfers this summer needs to address that, but otherwise central midfield and defence are in need of far more attention than attack.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has slammed the contribution of one Whites ace with money set aside for transfer action.