Mateo Joseph is expected to start in Leeds United’s third-round FA Cup clash against Harrogate Town on Saturday evening. However, the Spaniard lost his place in the team after starting the season as the first-choice striker and has started just two of Leeds’ last ten league games. Daniel Farke placed his trust in him and decided against signing forward last summer but the Spaniard has scored just twice in the league. He has been without a goal for Leeds since October and is desperate to get on the scoresheet. However, Leeds’ interest in Aston Villa forward Louie Barry should be a massive worry for him. If the club are indeed looking at signing a player who is of the same age as Joseph, it would be a vote of no confidence against the Spaniard.
Farke showed a lot of confidence in the 21-year-old striker last summer when he decided against signing a forward and anointed the Spaniard as his number-nine at the start of the season.
Joseph was keeping Joel Piroe out of the team and the Leeds boss insisted that he would come good and produce the goals and assists needed up front for the Whites.
While his overall play was positive, the Spaniard was struggling to hit the back of the net and he eventually lost his place in the team to Piroe who is the top goalscorer for Leeds this season with ten goals.
Joseph’s has had limited starts over the last couple of months and Piroe is now more or less a certainty in the number 9 role for Leeds at this stage of the campaign.
Leeds have lost their faith in him but Joseph has not scored enough to warrant a place in the team and the club’s interest in Barry is a sign of dwindling confidence in the Spain Under-21 striker.
Mateo Joseph should look over his shoulder if the Aston Villa man arrives
The 21-year-old attacker caught the eye of the Leeds scouts with his performances on loan for League One side Stockport County in the first half of the season.
Despite not being a traditional striker, Barry scored 15 times in 23 appearances in League One before returning to Aston Villa in the winter transfer window.
Leeds are interested in signing him and are hoping to convince Villa to let him move to Elland Road before the transfer window closes on 3rd February.
Barry is a versatile forward who can play anywhere in the final third and his arrival should worry Mateo Joseph the most as he is of the same age as him.
Leeds wanting to place their faith in another young forward is bad news for the Spaniard who has been hoping to further develop in the coming months.
The Villa forward would directly challenge him for a place in the team and versatility would be an added advantage for Barry in the race with Joseph.
The Leeds attacker must find ways to score more in the latte half of the season
Villa have not made a decision on Barry yet and there is a real chance that Leeds don’t end up signing him in the winter transfer window.
However, if Joseph continues to struggle to score goals, Leeds will have to make a decision about his long-term future at the club in the summer.
The Spaniard has to find ways to add to his tally of two goals this season, starting with the FA Cup clash against Harrogate Town at Elland Road on Saturday.
Patrick Bamford’s injury worries mean that Joseph can count on being the next in line behind Piroe in the pecking order of strikers at Leeds this season.
However, Joseph needs to do more to challenge Piroe and scoring more goals is the only way to get his place back in the team going forward.
If not Barry, someone else will threaten his place in the Leeds squad next summer as the club can’t afford to carry a striker who has scored five times in 58 appearances for the Whites.
