While Leeds United’s title charge is currently on hold, the west Yorkshiremen continue to be speculated with possible summer transfers, and this week has been no different.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side had been linked to Canadian international Cyle Larin last month, and their chances of clinching him have taken a boost as it has been revealed by Walfoot that Zulte Waregem are having second thoughts about signing him on a permanent basis from Turkish giants Besiktas.
Currently, the Argentine has both first-choice frontman Patrick Bamford and Jean-Kevin Augustin at his disposal, the latter he’ll be obligated to buy if they earn promotion, as per BILD.
But is this a move that United should pursue? Our writers have each given their verdicts, which can be read below…
Danny Lewis
“Leeds could do with another striker considering how anticlimactic Augustin’s time at Elland Road has been so far. However, if they do make it into the Premier League, they should be targeting someone much better than this.
“He may have scored nine goals in the league and cup this term, but to go from representing Zulte-Waregem – who are ninth in the Jupiler Pro League – to playing in the English top-flight would be a massive jump for Larin.
“They should look at Aston Villa and the struggles they have had with Wesley, as the former Club Brugge man scored just five goals before picking up a serious injury. Bielsa must avoid this move.”
Matt Dawson
“Irrespective of the division Leeds are in next summer, this would be an utterly bizarre move to make. The Whites may need another striker in the ranks – primarily because of Patrick Bamford’s 13 goal haul being the highest in the squad – but to swoop for someone of Larin’s ilk would be yet another mistake in the striking department from Victor Orta.
“This has been one of the worst lingering trends at Elland Road since he arrived. £10m Bamford hasn’t set the world alight this season while Eddie Nketiah made just two league starts. As for Jean-Kevin Augustin, he’s played only 49 minutes since arriving in Yorkshire. It doesn’t appear as though Orta has the capabilities to discover a striker who can aid Marcelo Bielsa’s men, and this would be another fine example.
“After all, he has just seven goals in the Jupiler Pro League this season in 29 outings. If you compare that to Kemar Roofe, who left for Belgium last summer, he has six in 13 matches in the same league. Roofe lit up the Championship last term by netting 14 in 32, so that tells you all you need to know. This could be another flop waiting to happen.”
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Charles Jones
“Personally I don’t think that buying Larin is a wise move for Leeds. Bielsa seems quite set on starting Bamford as his first-choice striker, and you also have to consider that Augustin’s loan move becomes permanent to the tune of €21m (£19.4m) if United go up this season.
“Add in the fact that Tyler Roberts has shown that he may deserve a chance after netting a brace a couple of weeks ago, and you have to say that Leeds don’t need to sign a striker unless they’re guaranteed to be an improvement on what they already have, and I’m not sure a player who has only ever really proven himself in Belgium is what they should be after.
“Hopefully, the Whites recalibrate their transfer radar and find a striker who will be a guaranteed update on what they have.”
Lewis Blain
“Leeds definitely need to source a new striker this summer, and maybe they have grabbed a Kemar Roofe replacement at long last. Larin is a Canadian international who has found the net nine times this season for loan club Zulte Waregem, playing alongside West Brom flop Sadio Berahino. He’s also notched 11 assists, too.
“He has banged them in wherever he’s been from Orlando City SC – 44 goals in 89 appearances – to Besiktas, his parent club – scoring eight in 26 matches, per Transfermarkt.
“Bamford has been wasteful as shown by their chance conversion rate for the season ranking as third-worst in the division, and we’ve only seen three substitute cameos from Augustin, so a player of Larin’s ilk should be most welcome.“
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