An update has emerged on Leeds United and their plans to add a new centre-forward to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest Leeds United transfer news?
According to Football Insider, Daniel Farke is now eyeing up a raid on his former club to sign Josh Sargent from Norwich City.
The report claims that the Whites are considering a late move for the USA international to bolster their attacking options before next month’s deadline.
Farke signed the young number nine for the Canaries for a reported fee of £8m from Werder Bremen in 2021 and is now looking to reunite with him at Elland Road.
However, Football Insider does not state how much the Yellows would demand for his services or how much Leeds would be willing to pay.
How good is Josh Sargent?
The 23-year-old marksman is a proven Championship performer who could come in as an upgrade on Patrick Bamford for the Whites heading into the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.
Sargent averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 37 league starts for Norwich last season and contributed with 13 goals and five ‘big chances’ created for his side. This included him scoring nine goals in 19 appearances as a striker, whilst the rest of his outings came either out wide or in midfield.
He has also started the current campaign in fine form. The USMNT star has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.15 across two Championship outings and chipped in with one goal, one assist, and two ‘big chances’ created for David Wagner’s team.
Sargent, who was once described as an “electric” forward by ex-Watford boss Slaven Bilic, has proven himself to be capable of scoring goals and creating opportunities on a regular basis at this level.
Bamford, however, is coming off the back of two poor seasons and it remains to be seen if he can get back to his best.
Last term, the former Chelsea man scored four goals and created one ‘big chance’ for his teammates in 28 Premier League matches, which came after he scored twice in nine top-flight outings during the previous campaign.
Bamford did produce 16 goals in 43 Championship starts during the 2019/20 season but there is no guarantee that he will be able to return to that level, which worked out as a strike every 2.69 starts on average.
Sargent, however, has scored ten goals in 21 starts as a striker since the start of last season, which is an impressive return of a goal every 2.1 outings on average.
This suggests that the £26k-per-week ace, who scored an eye-catching 35 goals in 58 youth-level games for the USA, would be a huge upgrade based on Bamford’s recent form and a slight upgrade even if the Englishman is able to get back to the peak of his powers.
Therefore, Farke could improve his team either way by securing a deal to reunite with the superb Norwich attacker, who also has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop further at the age of 23 as he gains more experience.
