A new striker appears to be one of Leeds United’s targets in the January transfer window. They brought in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lucas Nmeka on free signings over the summer, but their lack of performance in front of goal meant they had to sign a new No.9.
Sure, that player could be Troy Parrott. The former Tottenham Hotspur star is said to be a key target for Los Blancos heading into the winter transfer window.
However, the 49ers are not guaranteed to sign him, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also interested in the £20m star.
In fact, the Ireland international has shown such impressive goalscoring ability that it has generated such interest.
Why Leeds want to sign Parrott
£20 million is a small amount in the current transfer window, but Parrott certainly seems worth that kind of money. The 23-year-old has been an impressive goalscorer this season for both his Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar and his native Ireland.
The Dutch first-team and Spurs academy graduate scored an impressive 14 goals in 15 appearances, and also provided a number of assists. His form in the Eredivisie has been brilliant, scoring seven goals in eight appearances.
But what has really stood out recently is Parrott’s form with the Ireland international.
He became a national hero earlier this month, scoring five times in just two World Cup qualifiers, helping lead his team to the play-offs and ensuring his dream of going to America next summer stays alive.
The Irish star, who has 33 caps, kicked off their November qualifying campaign with two goals to help Portugal win 2-0. In the next match against Hungary, the centre-forward scored his third goal in stoppage time, completing a remarkable hat-trick and securing a 3-2 win and a place in the play-offs.
However, in order to raise the funds to sign the Ireland international striker, Leeds may first need to sell one of their high earners.
A player Leeds must sell now
After a summer of spending heavily under the 49ers’ new regime, it’s unclear how much money Leeds will have at their disposal in January.
A reported £20m transfer fee for Parrott is not a huge sum in the grand scheme of things, but no one knows how much the Whites have left in the bank.
Therefore, Jack Harrison may have to leave the club in January. After returning from a two-year loan spell at Everton, he has not been in great form this season and is not necessarily loved by the fans. Upon his return, he was booed at a pre-season friendly.
In fact, Harrison has not been Daniel Farke’s most trusted lieutenant this season. He has played 10 times in the Premier League, but only started once and played just 262 minutes.
The Stoke-born winger is yet to feature this season but has scored 34 goals and provided 32 assists for Leeds in his career.
Perhaps the highlight was his hat-trick away to West Ham United in 2022. However, it is impossible for him to reach such a grade now.
The few seasons he spent as an Everton player were unforgettable. The former Middlesbrough star made 73 appearances for the Toffees but only managed nine goals and an assist.
Premier League legend Gary Neville said at the end of last season that his “quality was low” at the Merseysiders.
If Leeds were to sell someone, it’s easy to see why Harrison would be the frontrunner. Transfermarkt values him at £10.5m, and he is also the club’s second-highest paid player with a weekly wage of £90,000 and a total annual salary of £4.68m.
Top 5 highest earners in Leeds | ||
|---|---|---|
player | Weekly wage | annual income |
dominic calvert lewin | 100,000 pounds | £5.2 million |
jack harrison | 90,000 pounds | £4.68 million |
Sean Longstaff | 80,000 pounds | £4.16 million |
daniel james | 75,000 pounds | £3.9 million |
Noah Okafor | £72.5,000 | 3.77 million pounds |
Information by Football Fancast | ||
Selling Harrison this winter could give Leeds the funds they need to strengthen their squad up front. Depth on the left side isn’t necessarily an issue, with Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnont both competing for the starting spot.
If Leeds can help sign Parrott by selling Harrison, who hasn’t impressed the world with his form this term, it could be great business.
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