Leeds United’s pursuit of a striker is ongoing, and there’s a new name to add to the mix.
Alongside Che Adams, Andre Gray and Dwight Gayle, you can now add Britt Assombalonga onto their list of targets.
What’s the story then?
The Mirror are reporting that Leeds have the Congolese striker in their sights as a potential replacement for Eddie Nketiah this month.
It’s certainly an exciting prospect as Assombalonga has proven his worth at this level on numerous occasions, hitting double figures for goals in four of his last five Championship seasons.
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However, it seems as though signing the 27-year-old would betray Marcelo Bielsa’s hopes for this transfer window.
Not a Bielsa player
The Argentine was very frank when it came to talking about the type of player he wanted to bring in this month. He said that he only wanted a striker that would fit his system.
“We’re trying to find the right player but we’re not going to bring a player who doesn’t fit just to be able to say that we brought someone. Even if we lack an attacker, we’re not going to bring in an attacker who doesn’t fit,” the Argentine noted.
However, signing Assombalonga would go completely against that.
The Middlesbrough man is a proven goalscorer at this level, but playing up front for Bielsa is about so much more than finding the net. You need to be able to press the backline, make tackles and interceptions while also holding up the ball to bring other players into the attack – something Nketiah wasn’t able to do before being recalled.
A look at Assombalonga’s WhoScored page tells the whole story. He has four weaknesses listed and two of those are defensive contribution and holding onto the ball. Those certain attributes are vital for any striker playing for El Loco.
The former Forest man would be a great addition for any other Championship side, but he simply wouldn’t fit the system at Elland Road. After the manager’s comments last week, Leeds must avoid bringing him in.
In other news, Phil Hay has made a huge transfer prediction for Leeds United.