Leeds United eye international striker with Premier League move now set
Leeds United are already looking at new strikers if they secure promotion to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s side have the top-flight in sight with just eight games of the regular Championship season remaining; sitting top of the table, ahead of Sheffield United and Burnley.
Leeds are the highest scorers in England’s top four divisions by some distance, having netted 76 times this term, but there remains plenty of room for improvement if they do finish the job and seal promotion.
Joel Piroe, who has led the line for most of this season with Mateo Joseph as his deputy, is second in the Championship scoring ranks, but Leeds’ January transfer activity made clear that further help is needed.
Vladyslav Vanat on Leeds United transfer radar
Piroe’s 15 goals and six assists have been huge in firing United to the top of the Championship table, but at present, a profligate Joseph and perennially-injured Patrick Bamford are Farke’s only back-up options.
| Player | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists |
| Joel Piroe | 38 | 28 | 15 | 6 |
| Patrick Bamford | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mateo Joseph | 36 | 14 | 3 | 3 |
That could soon be set to change, however, with TBR Football reporting on 22 March that Leeds are one of several clubs keen on signing Dynamo Kyiv striker Vladyslav Vanat, who has scored 14 goals this term.
Vanat, who has hit double figures in his last two seasons and scored twice in 10 Ukraine caps, has also attracted interest from Premier League sides, with Brentford, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves all “keen”.
Vanat transfer to address Leeds’ biggest need this summer
Although Leeds may well have enough talent and output in the final third to get them over the line in the Championship promotion race, the centre-forward position will need immediate attention this summer.
Rivals Sheffield United and Burnley both strengthened their frontlines in the winter window, bringing in Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Cannon, Ashley Barnes, Jaydon Banel and Marcus Edwards respectively.
The Peacocks, meanwhile, went without a single addition in January, loaning out Joe Gelhardt before a late and desperate attempt to bring in Southampton striker Cameron Archer on a loan-to-buy deal.
Archer’s form since that botched move has suggested that Leeds were wise to miss out on him, but their pursuit implies a striker of Vanat’s quality will be top of Farke’s wishlist if and when promotion is sealed.