It looks fairly clear that Leeds United could do with a new striker in the January window to add more firepower to the side as the debate swirls on between Joel Piroe or Mateo Joseph starting.
Leeds face Derby County today looking to get back to winning ways in the Championship after defeat at Blackburn Rovers, where they were rightly on the losing scoreline of a game they were second best in.
It was a mostly toothless and lethargic display from Leeds, lacking any sort of focal point in attack, and begging the question of where Farke goes with his number nine position.
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Should Leeds sign a new striker in January to compete with Piroe and Joseph?
Joel Piroe was anonymous again away from home last time out, but with Patrick Bamord and Mateo Joseph given more than 20 minutes to provide any more potency and connection to the attack, they also struggled to muster up anything.
It leaves Leeds with a debate heading towards January, around whether a new striker signing would be beneficial akin to how Ipswich Town rejuvenated their attack with Kieffer Moore and Ali Al-Hamadi last season – scoring 11 goals between them in the second half of the season.
Given Leeds have a top-drawer finisher with obvious flaws to his overall striker game in Piroe, and they have Joseph who is largely the reverse with great work in and out of possession, but not yet demonstrating consistency in front of goal.
Which position do Leeds need to strengthen most in January?
Striker
Striker
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Attacking midfielder (no10)
Attacking midfielder (no10)
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Centre-back
Centre-back
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Other?
Other?
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Odsonne Edouard could be available in January amid Leicester concerns
Looking to changes of plans in the Premier League has been a fruitful avenue for Leeds, with the signings of Manor Solomon and Connor Roberts in 2024 two examples.
The striker market that Leeds should be exploring isn’t exactly ripe with several good options that are A) available for the right price, and B) worthy of consideration to a Championship club.
However, Football Insider are reporting that Leicester City are considering terminating Odsonne Edouard’s loan from Crystal Palace in the new year.
Foxes fans paint a vivid picture of why he’s not wanted at the club beyond the new year, but the Premier League relegation battle managed mostly by Steve Cooper thus far is a wildly contrasting situation to the top end of the Championship.
The Frenchman netted seven Premier League goals last season and demonstrated more to his game than just his reasonable tally for a second-choice striker, compared with a target-man like Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (via DataMB):
At 6ft2in, he’s more than capable of holding his own in the Championship, while having the mobility to help Leeds create gaps in the attack too, plus an eye for goal not only shown in periods at Palace but very consistently at Celtic before that.