The latest from Elland Road as Leeds United prepare to face Brighton away this weekend.
Leeds United were comfortably the Championship’s top goalscorers last season, and in a bid to recreate that attacking fluidity, a new striker may be on the horizon.
The Whites scored a whopping 95 goals en route to the Championship title and 100 points last season, leaving them 24 clear of next-closest rival Norwich City. But since taking to the Premier League, Daniel Farke’s men have struggled to match that threat, with just nine goals on the board so far - only the bottom three have scored fewer.
But help may be on the horizon, with a report from Graeme Bailey (via GIVEMESPORT) stating that Leeds are targeting Coventry City star Haji Wright this January.
The United States international has been one of the stars of the Championship so far in 2025/26, netting eight goals to help Coventry sit top of the league on 28 points, unbeaten after 12 games. Only teammate Brandon Thomas-Asante has scored more goals (9), with Wright’s form following on from a 12-goal haul in the second division last season.
Any deal will be tough to complete given where the Sky Blues stand in the promotion race, but striker is a position Leeds will likely pay considerable attention to, given Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored just one goal in seven Premier League appearances and sits third in the top-flight for big chances missed (5).
Daniel Farke gives positive Gnonto/Gudmundsson update
FIT AGAIN: Willy Gnonto (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)placeholder image
FIT AGAIN: Willy Gnonto (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
In the immediate term, Farke will be focusing purely on this Saturday’s trip to Brighton as Leeds look to build on last week’s 2-1 win over West Ham United.
Farke said of Gnonto: “He trained with us this week, a bit longer term injury with calf problems and hernia surgery. Definitely not a topic for the starting line-up but some competition, we’ll see if we take him to the game. Lots of competition at the moment, no one missing.”
On Gudmundsson, Farke said: “Thank God it was just a bruise. It settled after two or three days, so he will be fit and available. He’s been excellent, one or two difficult moments, but come back with top performances. A key player.”
Daniel Farke addresses Leeds’ early points total
Daniel Farke celebrates with Leeds United fans. (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Daniel Farke celebrates with Leeds United fans. (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Along with the other two promoted sides, United have shown plenty of promise back in the top flight, but plenty more work is required to ensure they don’t immediately return to the Championship.
To that end, Farke has admitted he is actually a little disappointed Leeds haven’t taken more points, but admitted his side rarely ‘do anything easy’.
“[I] would be a bit more relaxed if we’d have achieved the points we deserved, could be 16 or 17 points,” Farke told reporters.
“The most important thing is that our performance are good, not like we earned points by luck, earned them with hard work and sometimes a bit unlucky. But not a guarantee, if we finish with 11 points then we won’t survive. We spoke about nine or 10 wins, to be on three is good but we have to keep going.
“[I have] never experienced that we do anything easy so I expect some challenges, some tough times will come. We have to ride the momentum and keep going.”
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Graham Smyth’s Leeds vs Brighton prediction
As always, YEP chief football writer Graham Smyth has given his prediction for this weekend’s game.
Smyth has discussed various key topics, such as Brenden Aaronson’s place in the side following his starring role against West Ham and, at the opposite end of the performance scale, whether or not Ao Tanaka should start against the Seagulls.
But what about the result? Smyth is ‘cautiously optimistic’ that Leeds can pick up a positive result on the south coast, hoping that Noah Okafor or Dominic Calvert-Lewin can come up with a big moment to steal a point on the road.
“Okafor will hopefully have a bit more in him than the 58 or so first-half minutes vs West Ham,” he said. “I still think Leeds need a bit more from him but in an away game where you're looking to counter, or you’re looking to play off Calvert-Lewin and get somebody in behind with a flick on, maybe he can add something.
“I too am cautiously optimistic, but I’m saying a point. I’m saying 1-1.”
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