Leeds United are in somewhat of a blessed position as the summer transfer window edges towards its final week. Yes they are missing their chief goalscorer from last season, but his loss brings a £15 million bargaining chip to the Whites.
The monies received for Chris Wood’s signature from Burnley will obviously put Leeds on the front foot when they are pursuing targets, the Whites already having had a £6 million bid for Middlesbrough’s Rudy Gestede turned down and are mentioned as favourites in the chase for Sheffield Wednesday’s Jordan Rhodes.
But ‘interest’ and ‘intention’ are not comfortable bedfellows and, in fact, are poles apart in reality. The Rhodes interest is just that…simple ‘interest’ although there is a little more ‘intention’ from Leeds in the pursuit of Gestede.
However, it appears that the Whites are closing in on one favoured target – according to the personal Twitter feed of the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Phil Hay (below).
Transfer latest – deal for NEC Nijmegen's Jay-Roy Grot getting closer; he's due in England for talks with Leeds tomorrow. #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 22, 2017
Arnhem-born Grot started his career proper at NEC/Oss Under-17, progressing first through to the Under-19 set-up and in to the NEC Nijmegen side in 2015.
Since promotion to the NEC first-team set-up, Grot has made 35 appearances for the Dutch side, scoring six goals. The bulk of these games and goals came last season when his 20 games produced five goals.
During his time at Nijmegen, he has also featured for the Under-21 side – making 10 appearances, scoring five goals and providing one assist.
It is likely that the youngster is not seen by the Whites as a like-for-like replacement for the departed Wood, but youngster Grot does have that same stature that would make him both powerful and dangerous in the air for the Elland Road outfit. Whilst it is unlikely that he has, just yet, that killer goal delivery that Wood possessed last season, he does have other qualities that Leeds United fans might warm to.
Rumoured #LUFC target
Jay-Roy Grot 2 goals v FC Twente – November 2016 pic.twitter.com/aSl3xcljz4— #WALMOT (@WALM0T33) August 22, 2017
A run up the pitch like the one by Grot for the first goal in the clip might alert fans to some of the different aspects that the young Dutch striker might bring to a club like Leeds United, especially if fed by a midfield containing the guile of Pablo Hernández, the pace of Ezgjan Alioski and the growing magic of Samu Saiz.
