Leeds United are in the market for forwards in the January transfer window, and signing a striker is believed to be a key priority for Daniel Farke.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored in each of the last three Premier League and Lukas Nmecha has also been proving his mettle in recent weeks in a Leeds shirt.
However, the limitations of the Leeds squad were laid bare when Farke had to start Noah Okafor alongside Calvert-Lewin against Liverpool when Nmecha was fit to play.
Joel Piroe has yet to win back the trust of the Leeds manager, and it is apparent that the squad need a new striker to beef up the options for the latter half of the season.
Leeds United learn about their chances of landing Santiago Gimenez
The Mexico national team striker joined AC Milan in February this year, following a great time at Feyenoord, where he scored 65 goals in 105 appearances.
However, his time at AC Milan has not panned out as he would have hoped for. He has become a bit-part player at the San Siro and has scored just seven times in 30 appearances.
| Club | AC Milan |
|---|---|
| Matches | 30 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 5 |
His only goal this season came in the Italian cup, and there are rumours that his agents are looking for a new club ahead of the winter transfer window.
Leeds are among the clubs that have been offered the chance to sign the Gimenez in January. However, his camp are singing from a different hymn sheet.
His father claimed that Gimenez is determined to stay at AC Milan as they are his boyhood club, and he rejected several offers before he moved to the San Siro earlier this year.
“Santi has great affection for Milan, so he is living a dream”, his father told the Vamos Show podcast on YouTube.
“There are photographs I have of Santi at the ages of six and nine, wearing the Milan jersey. I still have at home a Milan jacket he wore when he was 10 years old.
“Santi wants to stay at Milan. This is a big club where he must perform at the maximum level. He’s very happy here, as we had many offers from Saudi Arabia and more, but when Milan arrived, he said he only wanted to go there.”
Do Leeds have the funds to bring in a top striker?
Leeds do not need a striker who will only make up the numbers. Farke already has Piroe in the squad; he needs someone good enough to start games.
However, signing a striker of the required quality is going to cost money, with AZ Alkmaar believed to be holding out for a fee north of the £25m mark for Troy Parrott in January.
Gimenez could be a good market opportunity if he is ready to give up on his dream of making it at AC Milan in the January transfer window.
He may be available for a loan deal, which would suit Leeds’ budgetary requirements. However, there are question marks whether he is good enough to make a mark.
Leeds cannot afford to sign someone who is not ready to make an impact immediately in the first eleven if they bring in someone in the winter window.
However, with Leeds making it clear in the summer that they maxed out on their PSR spending, it is unclear whether they have funds to bring in a top striker in January.
