Leeds United have just under two weeks left to finish any of their remaining business for the summer transfer window.
Who have Leeds signed this summer?
The Whites have not been particularly active in bringing players to Elland Road as they have only signed Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram, Joe Rodon, and Karl Darlow so far.
However, they have allowed the likes of Marc Roca, Brenden Aaronson, Max Wober, Rasmus Kristensen, Rodrigo, Jack Harrison, and Robin Koch to depart either on loan or permanently.
Bringing in a striker appears to be on the cards for the Whites before next month’s deadline as they have been linked with a swoop for Venezia star Joel Pohjanpalo, who has a release clause worth €4m (£3.4m).
How good is Joel Pohjanpalo?
The Finland international is coming off the back of an impressive season in the Serie B and he could be the man to lead the line for the club this term.
His performances in Italy suggest that the quality is there for him to be the go-to player for goals for Leeds, which would make him Daniel Farke’s next version of Pohjanpalo’s compatriot Teemu Pukki.
The now-MLS star enjoyed a terrific spell with the German head coach at Norwich as the pair worked together during two title-winning Championship campaigns, in which time the centre-forward was his top-scorer.
Pukki plundered an exceptional 29 and 26 goals respectively across the two seasons as the Canaries lifted silverware on both occasions to secure promotion up to the Premier League.
Farke will now be hoping to reach the top-flight with a second division club for the third time in his career in England and Pohjanpalo’s goals could help him to do that, as Pukki’s did at Carrow Road.
Last season, the Finnish ace, who was once dubbed “dangerous” by journalist Josh Bunting, caught the eye with an impressive return of 19 goals in 35 Serie B starts for Venezia, whilst he was also a provider for his teammates with seven assists.
Pohjanpalo averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 7.19 for his performances in Italy, which is higher than any Leeds player managed last season in the Premier League.
Pukki averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 during the 2020/21 title-winning season and a score of 7.22 throughout the 2018/19 term. This suggests that his compatriot is able to deliver consistently brilliant displays to a similar standard.
No Whites forward scored more than 14 league goals last term and no current player produced more than five strikes. This suggests that the Venezia star has the potential to be Farke’s outstanding scoring option through the middle of the pitch.
Pohjanpalo would be an exceptional striker for the Yorkshire-based outfit if he is capable of translating his form from Italy over to England, based on his sublime displays over the last 12 months.
Therefore, the £3.4m-rated talent could be Farke’s next Pukki as a free-scoring Finland international whose goals could help his side to push for promotion back to the Premier League.
His goal return for Venezia shows that he has the quality to be a reliable scorer and that could allow him to be a match-winner on a regular basis for the Whites, which could lead to vital points being won throughout the campaign.
