Leeds United have the edge on rivals for £15 million striker – a genuine game-changer

Leeds United are one of the worst attacking teams in the league. Daniel Farke is now feeling the effects of the ownership refusing to splash the cash on quality attacking signings in the summer window.

The Whites went after the likes of Rodrigo Muniz, Igor Paixao and Harry Wilson but ended up with none of them. Rather, the team signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on free transfers. Calvert-Lewin gave the fans a bit of hope when he opened his account against Wolves, but has failed to find the back of the net since that.

Nmecha has surprisingly made the best of his little time on the pitch; he is currently the club’s joint top scorer in the Premier League. Leeds have lost four of their last five games, and a lot of these results can be attributed to the poor finishing up top. In games like the one against Burnley, Brenden Aaronson squandered a chance to level the game, and the Whites eventually lost. Calvert-Lewin has missed four of his last five big chances and Leeds rank 19th in the Premier League for shot conversion.

Leeds leading early January transfer race

January is just around the corner and the Whites are desperate for attacking quality. Ivan Toney has been linked with a return to the Premier League, but Fabrizio Romano’s latest update makes any move look impossible. TEAMtalk are now reporting that Celtic star Daizen Maeda is on the radar of Leeds United. The 28-year old had a stellar season last year as he netted 20 goals in all competitions. He was heavily linked with a move to England, but nothing came out of it.

It is believed that the forward’s price tag is now around £15 million, which will attract a lot of clubs outside Scotland. The problem is if Leeds will actually spend when the time comes, with Farke’s words before the Nottingham Forest game raising some eyebrows.

Leeds United have the edge to sign Daizen Maeda

The Japanese international is a hard worker off the ball – he pressures a lot and is not afraid of getting stuck in challengers. Maeda is also versatile, he does not only play in the middle of attack, he can also play on the flanks. Leeds also have the edge when it comes to signing him over Premier League rivals, Everton and West Ham. The Toffees and Hammers are also believed to want Maeda, but the striker’s close relationship with international teammate and close friend Ao Tanaka is likely to sway him to Elland Road. Leeds star Tanaka and Celtic striker Maeda have repeatedly shared comments with each other on Instagram, highlighting their close friendship.

The Celtic man has been on fire since joining Celtic, scoring over 40 goals since he joined the Scottish club. He is also not afraid to shoot. Last season, he finished in the top 10 in the league for shots on target. Maeda would be a definite upgrade on Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha; he is faster, and can create and score rather than staying in the box waiting for chances to come to him.

For the fee mentioned, believed to be around £15 million, a lot of clubs will jump at the chance, and Leeds United could well be in for the forward too. January will be a crucial time for the 49ers as they hope to turn the club’s season around. If Leeds do go in for Maeda, Tanaka is sure to be the club’s secret weapon in convincing him to come to Elland Road over both Everton and West Ham.