Leeds United finished their pre-season schedule ahead of the 2025/26 campaign with a 1-1 draw against European giants AC Milan at Elland Road on Saturday.
Anton Stach, who joined on a permanent deal from Hoffenheim earlier this summer, scored the only goal of the game for the hosts, with a stunning strike from the left corner of the pitch, just outside of the box.
The Championship champions now have around a week to prepare for their opening Premier League game against Everton at Elland Road next Monday.
Daniel Farke, though, has made it absolutely clear that he is not happy with how his squad is looking ahead of the first match of the campaign, due to the lack of attacking reinforcements.
The Whites have not paid a single penny for a transfer fee for an attacking player as yet, as Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg is their only forward signing to date.
When Marcelo Bielsa won promotion to the Premier League in 2020, Leeds swiftly splashed the cash to sign experienced attacker Rodrigo for a reported fee of £27m.
Why Leeds need their next Rodrigo
The Whites spent the money required to bring in a quality operator who had already proven himself in one of Europe's major leagues, in European competitions, and at international level, and he went on to score 28 goals in 97 matches for the club.
rodrigo-leeds-premier-league
Rodrigo scored 59 goals in 220 games for Valencia, had already been capped by Spain, and played 30 times in the Champions League before his move to Elland Road in 2020.
This meant that Leeds signed a proven star who had the ability and experience to step straight into the team as a difference-maker at Premier League level, which helped the team to avoid an instant relegation.
|Rodrigo's debut season impact (20/21 Premier League)|
|Opposition|Contribution|Result|
|---|
|Man City (H)|Goal|1-1 draw|
|Newcastle (H)|Goal|5-2 win|
|West Brom (A)|Goal|5-0 win|
|Newcastle (A)|Assist|2-1 win|
|Spurs (H)|Goal|3-1 win|
|Burnley (A)|Two goals|4-0 win|
|Southampton (A)|Assist|2-0 win|
|West Brom (H)|Goal|3-1 win|
|Stats via Sofascore|
As you can see in the table above, Rodrigo's seven goals and two assists in the top-flight in his first season were vital, as they contributed to seven wins and a draw.
This is why Leeds need to attempt to repeat that masterclass by bringing in a proven and experienced attacker who can hit the ground running to make a big impact in the Premier League, and their latest reported target appears to fit the bill.
Leeds leading the race to sign Serie A striker
According to the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds and Fulham are currently leading the race to sign Inter centre-forward Mehdi Taremi.
The report claims that both clubs are interested in a deal to sign the 33-year-old marksman, who could be on his way out of the Champions League finalists before the end of the summer window.
It adds that Taremi is keen to move to the Premier League, which is why Leeds and Fulham are leading the race for his signature, but he has yet to decide which club to sign for.
The outlet reveals that a decision is going to come soon, within the next few days, and Farke will surely be hoping that the experienced number nine opts to make the move to Elland Road.
Taremi
If Leeds can beat Fulham to his services, with a reported fee that may have to be around £9m, then they could have their next Rodrigo in West Yorkshire.
Why Leeds should sign Mehdi Taremi
The Whites must push to convince Taremi to turn down a potential move to Craven Cottage, where he may be a back-up to Raul Jimenez or Rodrigo Muniz, and make the switch to Elland Road.
At the age of 33, the Iran international would not be a long-term signing or someone who is likely to make the club a profit in the future, which was also the case when they signed Rodrigo from Valencia in 2020.
Mehdi Taremi
However, like the former Leeds man, Taremi is an experienced centre-forward who could hit the ground running and score vital goals to keep the team in the Premier League, which would make him worth his weight in gold and leave no one worried about his resale value.
The £9m-rated striker only scored three goals in all competitions for Inter, but he only started seven Serie A games and had to play a back-up role to Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, which meant that he was unable to showcase the best of his ability.
He has, however, scored five goals and provided four assists for Iran at international level over the past 12 months, taking his tally to 53 goals and 24 assists in 93 matches for Iran.
|Mehdi Taremi's Liga Portugal career|
|Season|Appearances|Goals|Assists|
|---|
|23/24|23|6|4|
|22/23|33|22|8|
|21/22|32|20|13|
|20/21|34|16|15|
|19/20|30|18|5|
|Stats via Transfermarkt|
As you can see in the table above, Taremi also showcased his lethal nature in front of goal during his time in Portugal with Rio Ave and Porto, scoring 16 goals or more in four of his five league campaigns.
The 33-year-old marksman, whose finishing skills were once hailed as "ridiculous" by pundit Rio Ferdinand, has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 38 outings in the Champions League in his career on top of that.
mehdi-taremi-iran-world-cup-qualifiers
His statistics at international level, in Portugal, and in the Champions League all show that the veteran striker is a lethal goalscorer who almost guarantees goals when fit and playing regularly.
Inter did not give him the chance to play regularly, understandably so with the quality of attackers at their disposal, and Leeds now have the opportunity to take advantage of that by swooping in to sign him.
Taremi appears to have all the attributes and experience, aside from having never played in England, to hit the ground running to make an instant impact, just as Rodrigo did five years ago.