Leeds United are in the market for attacking reinforcements in the winter transfer window as Daniel Farke looks to add more edge to his squad in the middle of the season.
Farke felt that he was left short in the final third, in the last summer transfer window. He wanted to add at least two more players – an attacking midfielder and a winger.
Leeds were struggling to score goals until Farke tweaked the system to play a 5-3-2. The Whites have scored eight goals in the last 2.5 games to get themselves out of the relegation zone.
| Stat | 4-3-3 | 3-5-2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 1,035 | 135 | 1,170 |
| Goals scored | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| Minutes per goal | 94.09 | 27.00 | 73.13 |
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha’s recent form led Leeds to consider not signing a striker. However, that changed following what they saw in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool.
Daniel Farke wants Leeds United to sign a new striker in January
Farke’s decision to shift to a 5-3-2 means Leeds are now playing with two men up front. However, their top two strikers are injury-prone players.
Lukas Nmecha was not fit to feature against Liverpool on Saturday, and Farke was forced to start Noah Okafor, a winger, alongside Calvert-Lewin at Elland Road.
Farke still doesn’t trust Joel Piroe enough to start him in the Premier League, and according to TEAMTalk, signing a striker is still on Leeds’ agenda.
With the team needing two strikers up front in the new system, Leeds appear to be lacking numbers and have numbers 9s who do not have a great fitness record.
Farke is pushing to bring in one more striker to ease his concerns, which will also allow him to rotate accordingly to keep all his forwards fresh in the second half of the season.
Leeds are already looking at attacking midfielders and wide players. However, the club remain interested in adding one more number 9 to their squad.
Do Leeds have the budget for a striker?
Leeds claimed after the summer transfer window closed that they maxed out their PSR spending, and any more expensive signings would have needed significant sales.
The club are working under a tight budget, and cannot afford to be extravagant in January, even if they want to bring in new signings.
An attacking midfielder and winger are on their agenda. However, finding a quality striker in the middle of the season is likely to be expensive.
Troy Parrot is a top target, but AZ Alkmaar want around £30m before agreeing to sell the Ireland striker in the winter transfer window.
Leeds are considering selling a couple of players to make room in their PSR budget for significant arrivals in January.
The club will have to conduct a delicate balancing act between wanting to support Farke while remaining within the Premier League’s financial rules.
