Leeds United are in the market for a striker in the January transfer window, as it is apparent that their current number 9 options are not good enough to keep them in the Premier League.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored just once this season and has lost his place to Lukas Nmecha, who was signed as a back-up but has ended up scoring a goal more than the former Everton star.
Joel Piroe is not seen as a starting-level player in the Premier League, which means that despite the limited ability of Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin’s errant finishing inside the penalty box, Leeds do not have another quality option.
Leeds are almost certain to sign a striker in January, funds permitting, and the club have identified their top target ahead of the winter transfer window.
Leeds place Troy Parrott high in their January transfer plans
Leeds have been heavily linked with a move for the former Tottenham striker, who is scoring goals for fun in the Netherlands and at the international level.
Parrott has scored 14 goals in 15 appearances for AZ Alkmaar this season, and has only gone from strength to strength since moving to the Dutch top tier.
| Competition 🏆 | Matches 🏟️ | Goals ⚽ | Assists 🟢 | Minutes ⏱️ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eredivisie | 8 | 7 | 1 | 609′ |
| UECL Qualifiers | 5 | 7 | 1 | 309′ |
| Conference League | 2 | – | – | 100′ |
| Total | 15 | 14 | 2 | 1,018′ |
He recently grabbed headlines with a hat-trick for Ireland against Denmark, which kept his national team in the hunt to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Parrott’s five goals against Portugal and Denmark in the last international break have made him a huge attraction for clubs looking for strikers in January.
According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, he is now very high on the shortlist of targets Leeds are considering signing in the January window.
The Irishman is now a top target for Leeds, who are desperate to add a natural goalscorer to their squad for the second half of the season.
Wolves, who were interested in him last summer, are also in the mix to sign Parrott in the winter window.
49ers make huge transfer decision
Parrott is going to be expensive in January, and the dearth of quality strikers in the market means AZ Alkmaar will demand a premium fee in January.
Leeds have already held talks with AZ and were told that it could take more than £25m to secure his signature in the January transfer window.
However, there are suggestions that the price could go up to £30m if more clubs get involved in the race to sign the Ireland striker in the coming weeks.
Leeds do not have the PSR room to spend such money. However, the potential sale of Wilfried Gnonto in January could open up space for a big buy.
The 49ers are said to have made the call to sell the Italian, and are also hopeful of offloading Illan Meslier in January amid interest from Serie A.
The 49ers would have to push the financial envelope to sign Parrott in January, and it appears there is a determination to avoid the mistakes they committed last summer.
