Leeds United are poised to join the January transfer market before the February 3 deadline, bringing in one or two new players to bolster their bid for automatic promotion.
Daniel Farke began the January window by stating that he did not expect any new signings, but in his pre-Burnley press conference last Thursday, Farke identified three positions that he would like to bolster before the window closed.
One of those was a striker, as Joe Gelhardt has joined Hull City on loan, and Patrick Bamford is injured and expected to be out until the middle of February. Farke has two options: Joel Piroe or Mateo Joseph.
Leeds have been linked with several strikers in the last four weeks, including Israel’s Dor Turgeman and Aston Villa’s Louie Barry, who was recalled. Mergim Berisha is scheduled to join German club Augsburg.
Graham Smyth’s assessment on Leeds’ links with Kelechi Iheanacho
Iheanacho is a household figure in English football after serving as Sergio Aguero’s backup at Manchester City and Leicester City for seven years. Despite being promoted with Leicester, he signed with Victor Orta’s Sevilla last summer.
According to reports, Leeds were close to signing Nigerian international Iheanacho. But, despite the fact that Iheanacho was an unused substitute in Sevilla’s draw with Espanyol on Saturday, nothing has happened since then.
Smyth noted on the Inside Leeds United podcast that the links with Iheanacho do not make sense. There have been several links, some of which do not even need me to leave my armchair to verify.
“Wages for one, how his season has progressed for another. Leeds are monitoring Bamford to see whether they need a striker, but Farke is content with Joseph and Piroe as a one-two. So, I think it’s doubtful.
Comparing Iheanacho to Championship statistics of Leeds attackers
Iheanacho has only spent one season in the Championship, with Leicester, where the Foxes won automatic promotion ahead of Leeds and will return to the Premier League in 2023-24.
| Name | Clubs | Appearances | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Minutes per G+A |
| Joel Piroe | Leeds Swansea |
164 | 11673 | 64 | 16 | 145.9 |
| Mateo Joseph | Leeds | 47 | 1331 | 3 | 3 | 221.8 |
| Patrick Bamford | Leeds Middlesbrough Derby Forest |
210 | 12600 | 69 | 15 | 150 |
| Kelechi Iheanacho | Leicester | 23 | 915 | 5 | 1 | 152.5 |
Iheanacho’s positives include Premier League experience. One with a large number of goals and 55 international caps. But his pay will be high at Sevilla.
His career is in decline, with only nine appearances in La Liga for Sevilla and three goals in the Copa Del Rey against lower opponents. As Smyth suggests, Leeds should avoid signing the striker.
