Sammie Szmodics offered wage increase as Leeds United push for transfer

Leeds United target Sammie Szmodics has been offered improved wages to remain at Blackburn Rovers, according to the Daily Mirror.

Chris McKenna wrote in the Mirror's live transfer feed on Monday (22 July) that Blackburn had offered Szmodics a wage increase as both the Whites and Ipswich Town circle the Republic of Ireland international with a move "now on the table".

Attacking midfielder Szmodics was the Championship's top scorer last season, with his 27 goals almost single-handedly keeping Blackburn in the league and attracting interest from various clubs.

Szmodics' former chairman at Peterborough, Darragh MacAnthony, encouraged Daniel Farke's side to sign the 28-year-old this summer, saying he would "guarantee promotion" to the Premier League.

Leeds United don't have an attacking outlet like Sammie Szmodics

While Farke's wingers and strikers were a regular source of umpteen goals in last season's ultimately unsuccessful Championship campaign, contributions from midfield were much harder to come by.

Crysencio Summerville may have notched 20 alone from the left flank, but Ilia Gruev was the only out-and-out central midfielder to find the net all season – and even that didn't come until the play-offs.

Szmodics is by no means a defensive-minded player, but him operating through the middle in the number 10 position worked wonders for a Blackburn side who had little else in terms of firepower.

Georginio Rutter excelled as a number 10 in Farke's system, but just eight goals compared to 16 assists suggested he may be even better served playing off one of the flanks going into the new campaign.

If a player like Summerville, who has been linked with a big-money move away this summer, does depart, the reshuffling of United's attacking quartet could open up a golden opportunity for Szmodics to fire Leeds back to the promised land.

In other Leeds news, some of the club’s regular away supporters have been left shocked at the latest ticketing update.

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