Leeds United to seek permanent Mateo Joseph sale amid move for international goal machine
Leeds United may soon look at a permanent exit plan for Mateo Joseph.
Daniel Farke is looking to make moves in the January transfer window, and incomings will need to be sanctioned with the thought of sales in mind, too.
The Whites are facing financial constraints this window, and although they may want to, the 49ers will be unable to spend as much as they like on new acquisitions.
Joseph joined Spanish side Mallorca in the summer, on what was believed to be a straight loan deal with no buy option included.
Mallorca are said to be unable to afford Joseph after Leeds made their valuation on the Spaniard clear, and the Whites may look to recall and sell the striker permanently given the latest transfer update.
Leeds hold interest in young striker Karlo Simic
Joseph was given a run of first-team football for Leeds last season and failed to establish himself as a consistent goalscoring threat.
The 22-year-old has potential, and the Whites may still be able to recoup a decent fee for the striker if recalled this window.
That’s because his future looks all but done at Elland Road following Leeds’ pursuit of a young number nine, who knows where the back of the net is
- Joseph scored just three times in 41 appearances last season
- He has managed to score twice in 17 games for Mallorca in La Liga
According to Croatian outlet 24Sata on Sunday, Leeds are scouting 18-year-old Karlo Simic, who plays for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.
The Whites have been named along with Juventus and Atletico Madrid as sides who are interested in signing Simic.
The forward has chosen to represent Croatia on an international level, and though he’s yet to break into Wolfsburg’s first team, he has scored 10 goals this season in nine league games at the youth level.
Given Leeds already have the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lukas Nmecha and Noah Okafor as striking options, Joseph’s career at LS11 is now surely nearing an end.
How much could Leeds get for Mateo Joseph?
Joseph divides opinion at Elland Road, but the signs are that he may not be the goalscoring threat that we all once thought he was.
There’s no reason why he still can’t go on and have a successful career, as a position change could alter the forward’s prospects.
With the Whites likely to pursue a deal for Simic in the future, the Leeds loanee is given barely any chance to make his way back into Farke’s thinking.
Joseph is valued at just over £3million by Transfermarkt, and if the Whites were to recall him, there would surely be a host of clubs interested in signing the young attacker.
Alternatively, Leeds could look for another loan move to help boost his transfer value ahead of what is an inevitable sale at this point.
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