Leeds United have already signed Harry Wilson and Tarik Muharemovic, and are closing in on James Trafford, but they are not done there in the summer window.
Daniel Farke is also looking to make an addition to his options in the number nine position, with Burnley’s Zian Flemming emerging as one potential option.
They were also touted with interest in a deal for Spanish forward Carlos Espi before he sealed a move to Real Madrid from Levante last week.
Club Brugge number nine Nicolo Tresoli is another striker who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, which shows that the club are clearly looking for a new option in that role.
What Leeds need to look for in a new striker
Aside from the obvious that they need to be Premier League quality, the Whites need to find a striker who has the physicality to play in Farke’s system.
Part of what made Dominic Calvert-Lewin so effective for the West Yorkshire outfit last season was that he provided a physical presence up front, constantly tussling with defenders to hold the ball-up for his side.
His 14-goal haul in the Premier League was impressive, of course, but it was his general play for Leeds that really caught the eye after his move from Everton on a free transfer.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Calvert-Lewin |
Rank vs CFs |
|---|---|---|
|
Duels won |
184 |
Top 7% |
|
Aerial duels won |
128 |
Top 5% |
|
Fouls won |
38 |
Top 7% |
|
Defensive contributions |
105 |
Top 23% |
|
Possessions won in final third |
18 |
Top 9% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
40.4% |
Top 35% |
Calvert-Lewin ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of physical metrics in the top-flight last term, illustrating his effectiveness when using his body against strong centre-backs.
Leeds have a history of powerful centre-forwards who are a handful for defenders, going back to Mark Viduka. Ex-Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher said that he “couldn’t stop Viduka” because it was hard to “cope” with his physicality.
The Whites, therefore, should be looking to bring in a new striker who can offer physical and technical qualities for Farke’s side in the Premier League.
Now, the club are looking at a player who could arrive at Elland Road as the exact kind of attacker they need, as he has shades of Viduka to his game.
Football Insider reports that Leeds United are exploring a deal to sign Chelsea centre-forward Liam Delap before the end of the summer transfer window.
The outlet claims that the Whites have already made contact with their Premier League rivals to enquire about a potential move for the former England U21 international.
However, they are currently put off by the £40m valuation that the Blues have placed on his head, and it remains to be seen whether or not they will opt to formalise their interest with an offer.
The Whites need to look past his return of two goals in 41 matches for Chelsea in the 2025/26 campaign because his form at Ipswich Town in the previous season suggests that he is exactly what they need.
Delap, who once described himself as an “aggressive” striker who loves “battles”, is similar to Viduka in the sense that he is a physical number nine who wants to bring the ball in and compete with centre-backs to get his teammates involved.
|
24/25 Premier League |
Delap |
Rank vs CFs |
|---|---|---|
|
Duels won |
157 |
Top 6% |
|
Aerial duels won |
58 |
Top 20% |
|
Fouls won |
51 |
Top 8% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
43.3% |
Top 40% |
|
Possessions won in final third |
17 |
Top 16% |
|
Defensive contributions |
41 |
Top 30% |
The 23-year-old marksman, just as Calvert-Lewin did last season for Leeds, ranked highly in a host of physical metrics for Ipswich in his first full season of regular Premier League football.
Delap was also praised by ex-Premier League centre-forward Darren Bent for his use of his physicality that season, as he provided the Tractor Boys with a useful outlet up front.
The English attacker also scored 12 goals that season for Ipswich, showing that his goalscoring woes for Chelsea may just be a blip, although he is still yet to show that he can hit the heights that Viduka, who scored 20 top-flight goals in one season for Leeds, did.
Delap, though, has all the physical attributes that Leeds should be looking for in a new striker and could arrive at Elland Road with shades of Viduka in the way that he uses his strength to make life difficult for defenders, which is why he could be an excellent signing.