Gonzalo Garcia holds key to Leeds’ survival hopes, he outperformed Erling Haaland this summer
Leeds United are being linked with a move for Gonzalo Garcia once again ahead of the January transfer window.
The Whites made 10 additions to their squad in the summer ahead of their return to the Premier League, but the Real Madrid star was ultimately one target who eluded them.
Leeds weighed up a move for Garcia for several weeks over the summer, only for Los Merengues to eventually decide that they wanted to keep hold of him for the start of the season.
Daniel Farke and Co. were left cursing their luck on that occasion, but it could be a very different story for them when the winter window rolls around.
Gonzalo Garcia finished better than Erling Haaland at the Club World Cup
Leeds are preparing to battle Aston Villa for Garcia in January, with their Premier League rivals already understood to be readying a bid of £17.5million for the striker.
The West Yorkshire outfit never actually acted on their interest during the summer window, but that could soon be about to change after the issues that have been exposed in the early stages of the season.
Farke’s men are desperately lacking goals, having found the back of the net just nine times in the league so far, with centre-back Joe Rodon currently tied with Noah Okafor as their top scorer.
They badly need a goalscoring threat at the top of the pitch, and Garcia could be the perfect option to come in and provide that in the second half of the season.
The 21-year-old was prolific for Real Madrid’s B team in the 2024-25 campaign, as he netted 25 goals in 36 games, and he got his big break with the first team during this summer’s Club World Cup.
Garcia notched four goals and one assist at the tournament, outperforming his xG by an impressive 1.12 in the process, as per Opta.
By contrast, Erling Haaland managed just three strikes and underperformed his xG by an eye-catching 1.96.
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Striker signing will be crucial to the survival effort at Leeds
Premier League survival is the sole aim for Leeds this season, but their inability to convert their chances looks to be the major threat to them achieving that at the moment.
Prior to their victory over West Ham last time out, the Whites’ conversion rate in front of goal stood at a measly 6.7 per cent, their lowest figure since the 2013-14 campaign.
- Only three Premier League teams have scored less than Leeds’ nine goals so far
- They are the current bottom three in the table (Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Wolves)
- Every team that stayed up last season scored at least 40 goals
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s arrival hasn’t had the desired effect so far, while Joel Piroe is only receiving limited opportunities to impress.
Therefore, it is fair to say that the arrival of a new striker who is confident in front of goal could hold the key to their survival hopes.
Garcia is already carving out a reputation as a player who is ice cool in front of goal and is capable of finding the back of the net with a limited number of chances.
With that in mind, he is the perfect candidate for Leeds in January, and they must do everything they can to ensure they beat Aston Villa to his signature.
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