Nikola Krstovic tells Lecce he ‘wants to leave’ after Leeds submit major transfer bid
Leeds United have just been handed a major boost in their bid to sign Nikola Krstovic this summer.
The Montenegrin frontman hit 11 goals to help Lecce narrowly avoid relegation in Serie A last time out, and the Whites have been heavily linked with a move for him since the start of the summer.
Leeds have been chasing Krstovic’s signature for several weeks now, but it had become apparent that he favoured a move to Roma.
That possibility has slowly drifted away, with the capital club having since opted to add Evan Ferguson to their attacking ranks instead.
Krstovic ‘wants to leave’ after £21.6m Leeds bid
Leeds previously submitted an offer of £21.6million for Krstovic, but saw their approach immediately countered by Lecce.
The Italian outfit responded with a pricetag of £34.7m, and that seemed to put the West Yorkshire outfit off to some extent, with little development in their bid to land the 25-year-old over the last couple of weeks.
- Krstovic ended the 2024/25 campaign as Lecce’s top scorer
- His 11 goal tally was the highest total of his time in Italy so far
- Prior to his move to Lecce in 2023, Krstovic was playing in the Slovakian top flight
However, it now appears as though the door could once again open for the Whites to get a deal done, with Krstovic seemingly unhappy at Lecce.
The frontman has made it clear that he “wants to leave” and take on a new challenge, according to Lecce president Sticchi Damiani via Fabrizio Romano.
It remains unclear whether the West Yorkshire outfit will be willing to return with a new offer for the striker, or if they would even be prepared to meet his valuation, but the door is certainly open for Leeds to secure his signature before the September deadline.
Krstovic is not what the Whites need
Leeds have also been strongly linked with Artem Dovbyk over the last few days as they look to strengthen their attack, and the Ukrainian is a much better fit for them than Krstovic would be.
The Whites need a proven goalscorer, given their current lack of top-level experience in the final third, and Krstovic isn’t really a player who looks as though he would pose a threat in the Premier League.
His goal return last term was admirable in a side that struggled, but he certainly didn’t produce numbers that would get fans excited about his signing.
When you then throw in the fact that he would likely cost a significant amount to bring in, Daniel Farke and Co. may be better off shopping elsewhere.
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