After a sensational campaign in the 2024/25 Championship season, Leeds United earned promotion back to the Premier League. The Whites will now look to break the curse of newly-promoted teams in the last two seasons and survive in the top flight, which all six previous sides have failed to do.
To help with their cause, Daniel Farke’s side have had a busy summer transfer window so far. The first addition saw them bring former Manchester City academy graduate Lukas Nmecha to the club. The striker signed a two-year deal at Elland Road after leaving Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg at the end of his contract.
However, the 26-year-old might not be the only centre-forward who switches to Elland Road this summer.
Leeds’ next striker target
With Patrick Bamford something of an outcast at Leeds, Joel Piroe is really the only recognised number nine. Signing Nmecha was a necessary call, but their depth up front could be about to get even stronger if this next deal goes through.
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Now, according to a report from journalist Sebastien Vidal, the Whites are considering a move to sign Al-Hilal and Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The Yorkshire side are believed to be ‘in the race’ for the experienced attacker after it was confirmed the Saudi side ‘are open to selling’ their number nine this summer.
However, this will not be a straightforward deal to do. Leeds are set to face competition for Mitrovic’s signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur also showing a keen interest. Al-Hilal are said to have set an asking price of £26m for the 30-year-old to return to the English top flight this summer.
Why Mitrovic would be a good signing
If there is one thing Mitrovic will bring to a side, it is goals. He is an experienced number nine and, having already played in the Premier League, knows what to expect upon a potential return to the competition, this time in a Leeds shirt.
His recent form for Al-Hilal has been impressive. The Serbian forward, who first made a name for himself at Belgian side Anderlecht, scored 28 goals and grabbed seven assists in 36 games for the club last season. That included 19 Saudi Pro League goals, placing him sixth in the race for the Golden Boot.
Certainly, a huge advantage to signing the striker is his Premier League experience. He has 38 top-flight goals in 129 games, playing for both Newcastle United and Fulham.
On two occasions, he has scored double-figure goals, including bagging 14 in his final campaign with the Cottagers. That was a season in which Statman Dave called him a “monster” of a striker.
There is certainly a case to be made that Mitrovic would be a huge upgrade on Nmecha. The former Man City striker has experience in the top flight, having played twice in the competition for the Citizens. That, however, is nowhere near the amount of experience the Serbian star has.
On top of that, the 26-year-old, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, struggled last season for Wolfsburg. He played 19 Bundesliga games, but only bagged three goals, and struggled with injuries throughout the campaign.
Generally speaking, there is a stark contrast between each player’s records from the top flight. Nmecha has played five full seasons in top-flight football for both Anderlecht and Wolfsburg.
However, he has just 30 goals in that time, an average of six per campaign.
In the same timeframe, the last five top-flight seasons he has played, Mitrovic has bagged 73 goals. That leaves him with an average of 14.6 strikes per season, a far better success rate than Nmecha’s in the past five seasons.
2018/19 (Fulham)
37 games, 11 goals
2020/21 (Anderlecht)
31 games, 14 goals
2020/21 (Fulham)
27 games, 3 goals
2021/22 (Wolfsburg)
25 games, 8goals
2022/23 (Fulham)
24 games, 14 goals
2022/23 (Wolfsburg)
16 games, 4 goals
2023/24 (Al-Hilal)
28 games, 28 goals
2023/24 (Wolfsburg)
3 games, 1 goal
2024/25 (Al-Hilal)
23 games, 19 goals
2024/25 (Wolfsburg)
19 games, 3 goals
All things considered, Mitrovic would be a huge upgrade on the new Leeds star Nmecha. He is far more experienced in the Premier League and has a fantastic goal record over the past few seasons.
For a fee of just £26m, this is a fantastic market opportunity for the Whites, signing a player who is a genuine Premier League goalscorer.
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