With no defeats from their last five Championship games, Leeds United are definitely in pole position when it comes to being crowned champions of the notoriously punishing division.
At one stage, it looked as if Daniel Farke’s Whites had fluffed their lines once more in the promotion race with defeats and draws aplenty seeping into their game, but two victories on the trot has now seen them thankfully push away from third-placed Sheffield United to the summit of the league.
Still, not every win that is being collected is the most easy-on-the-eye spectacle to watch, leading to rumours beginning to emerge that the table-toppers are looking at bringing in some new strikers.
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As per a fresh report by TEAMtalk, the Whites are prioritising a number of signings ahead of potentially voyaging up to the Premier League, with the striker department one area that will likely be boosted by fresh personnel.
The report states that Leeds are especially taken aback by current West Ham United loanee Evan Ferguson, even with the Irishman’s notable struggles under Graham Potter to date.
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After all, the 20-year-old attacker has shone in the past with parent employers Brighton and Hove Albion, meaning there is a potential there for him to light up Elland Road.
Moreover, the report further elaborates that Leeds are monitoring the 6 foot forward’s situation ahead of his return to the Seagulls, with contact already being made over a deal happening in the near future.
Winning the services of a readymade Premier League striker could signal the end for Joel Piroe as Farke’s main marksman, with the Dutchman putting in one too many ineffective performances for the promotion-chasers as of late.
Why Ferguson would be a Piroe upgrade
The former Swansea City man is yet to taste any action in the top-flight across his career, but if his continued wastefulness in front of goal in the second tier is anything to go by, he would struggle to adjust to the sharp step-up in quality.
Whilst he does boast a healthy 15-goal return in the Championship this season, Piroe has also been guilty of squandering 12 big chances across his 42 league outings and counting, with three of those coming about when Leeds just narrowly beat Preston North End 2-1 last time out.
Whereas, Ferguson – at the peak of his powers for Brighton – has proven himself to be a cool and deadly finisher under pressure by notching up an impressive 17 strikes from 80 Seagulls appearances, which included a devastating hat-trick coming his way against Newcastle United way back in 2023.
The worry would be that the 20-year-old has significantly gone off the boil on loan at the Hammers – with a worrying zero strikes hitting the back of the net from six West Ham contests – but Farke will view the previously potent attacker as an upgrade on Piroe regardless, based on what has come before.
Games played
19
27
Games started
10
15
Goals scored
6
6
Assists
2
0
Big chances missed
5
4
From just 25 combined starts across the campaigns above, Ferguson would fire home a lethal 12 goals, with just nine big chances given up across those two seasons also.
Around this time, the much-talked-about Irishman was even being heralded as a potential £100m sensation, with BBC pundit Danny Murphy also weighing in on the conversation surrounding Ferguson by labelling him a “superstar” in the recent past.
Of course, it would now be ludicrous to suggest the Brighton number 28 is worth anywhere near that crazy sum.
But, with Piroe only managing to find the back of the net once from his last ten encounters for Farke’s men, Ferguson would be seen as a big upgrade, particularly if Premier League football is clinched.
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