Leeds in talks to sign £11m striker

Leeds United bounced back from a demoralizing 4-3 defeat away to Newcastle United with a confidence-boosting win in the FA Cup.

Daniel Farke’s Whites defeated John Eustace’s Rams 3-1 in another trip to Derby County, and all eyes are now back on the Premier League as Fulham come to Elland Road next.

Farke will be hoping for a return to winning ways in the league to back up his victory over the Championship hosts, and January will also give him an opportunity to assess his squad in case a last-minute move is needed in the busy transfer window.

Leeds hold contract negotiations for new striker

Farke will have been largely satisfied with the performance at Pride Park, as Wilfried Gounondt, who has not started a game in the Premier League recently, scored the crucial equalizer for Derbyshire.

Joel Pillow missed a penalty and had another cursed day in front of goal, but Leeds will likely be looking to striker target Artem Dovvik to move the former Swansea City attacker down the first-team rankings.

But surprisingly, he is not the only striker linked with AS Roma that Leeds are chasing, with TEAMtalk revealing that the top-flight new signing has held talks with Stadio Olimpico centre-forward Tammy Abraham over a possible move in January.

Currently plying his trade in the Turkish Super Lig on loan with Besiktas, it is reported that Abraham’s loan deal could soon be terminated at the Tupras Stadium, with Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and, of course, Leeds in talks to potentially sign the Englishman mid-season.

Abraham, who scored an incredible 12 goals in 24 games for the Black Eagles, is said to be open to a return to England so he can make a bold return to action under manager Thomas Tuchel.

It will be a tough race to win, but Leeds could potentially sign a striker built in the same mold as the powerful but lethal Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which would boost their ongoing contention.

Comparison of Abraham and Calvert-Lewin

Coincidentally, there has been talk of Calvert-Lewin potentially rejoining the Three Lions’ plans at Elland Road this season, with Calvert-Lewin continuing to do well clinically in the Leeds white coat.

Like Abraham, who went through many ups and downs during his long career before starting out as a promising star at Chelsea, the Sheffield-born striker also had a checkered spell, which led to him leaving Everton to seek redemption in West Yorkshire.

It’s safe to say that this was a decision that paid off phenomenally for the 28-year-old’s career, scoring nine goals in just 20 appearances. In stark contrast, Calvert-Lewin only managed to home just three goals all last season while staring down the Toffees’ exit.

Abraham has scored 26 goals in England’s top flight for both Swansea and Chelsea and will be hoping for a similar resurgence in the Premier League if he returns.

He failed just six times in his final season with the Blues. However, as is clear from the table above, he has proven himself to be a strong threat outside the Premier League, and perhaps Calvert and Lewin’s redemption arc awaits him at Elland Road.

Moreover, apart from finding their best again in the later stages of their journey, both strikers in question are also physical presences. Both are tall strikers who love to wrestle with defenders before taking chances. Indeed, Frank Lampard once pointed out that Abraham was an “incredible handful” for defenders when their passes crossed at Stamford Bridge.

Similarly, Calvert-Lewin was described by BBC 5 Live pundit Glenn Murray as a “stubborn” presence who was the “perfect package” when scoring goals for fun in West Yorkshire.

Abraham’s services carry an £11m price tag and Leeds may feel they are in for another Calvert-Lewin-style bargain. The 6ft 4 striker has previously been hailed as an “outstanding” finisher of chances by journalist Henry Winter, and is no different from the number nine who has aged like fine wine under Farke.