Leeds United are in the market for a new striker as The 49ers look to provide Daniel Farke with the firepower required to secure Premier League safety – but one option could cost £50m.
Currently, Joel Piroe is the club’s first-choice striker. He won the Championship golden boot last season with an impressive 19 goals and seven assists, but it was another season in which Piroe failed to convince.
Before the 6-0 win at Stoke, Piroe had gone nine games without a goal before four came in that massive win. Piroe has never played in the Premier League while Patrick Bamford has, but he remains injury prone.
Mateo Joseph could leave Leeds with Betis expected to enter talks soon. So, Leeds need a striker and have been linked with plenty up top – including Lecce’s impressive Montenegro star Nikola Krstovic.
Photo by Gabriele Maricchiolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Gabriele Maricchiolo/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Leeds may have to spend £50m to sign Nikola Krstovic
The Lecce striker has caught the eye after single-handedly keeping Lecce up. They finished 17th thanks to a last-day 1-0 win over Lazio, which saw Krstovic lay on an assist – a 16th Serie A goal or assist this term.
Lecce only scored 27 goals during 2024-25, and Krstovic had a hand in 16 – 11 goals, five assists. That is well over 50% of Lecce’s goals coming from one man, and Leeds are interested in signing Krstovic.
Initial reports said Leeds were battling Serie A quartet Napoli, Roma, Milan and Juventus. Now, a report from Pianeta Lecce explains why Lecce could charge a fee between £33.5m and £50m for the forward.
They base their valuation on Man City’s £60m signing of Omar Marmoush, who is older than Krstovic. Of course, Marmoush had sparkled in Germany but Krstovic has been scoring goals for a 17th-placed side.
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
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Where would a £50m deal rank in Leeds’ biggest transfers?
It will come as no surprise to Leeds fans that a £50m deal for Krstovic would make him a club-record signing at Elland Road – and by some margin. Georginio Rutter remains the club’s most-expensive buy.
Leeds spent £35.5m to sign Rutter from Hoffenheim in January 2023, before selling him for a near £5m profit when Brighton activated his £40m release clause to lure him to the south coast in August 2024.
Name Date Club bought from Fee
– Nikola Krstovic – – N/A – – Lecce – – £50m –
Georginio Rutter August 2024 Hoffenheim £35.5m
Rodrigo July 2020 Valencia £27m
Brenden Aaronson July 2022 Salzburg £25m
Dan James August 2021 Man United £25m
The Whites are expected to spend and a big chunk of that will have to go on a striker. But is signing Krstovic helpful, or does it see Leeds blow all their budget on a risk, given he’s never played in England?