Fernando Forestieri – Sheffield Wednesday
Argentinian/Italian Forestieri came close to joining Leeds United before signing for Sheffield Wednesday form Watford for £3.7 million in late August 2015. United wanted him on loan, but Watford were reluctant in agreeing the temporary deal and favoured a permanent move away from Vicarage Road for the forward. However, Forestieri was reluctant to move to West Yorkshire and join up with Leeds United.
Put all that aside, it’s three years of water under the bridge – instead focus on Forestieri as a player. He has skill and potential and more than an eye for goal in him. In his 88 games for Sheffield Wednesday since his move to the club, he had scored 32 goals and provided for another 15 by means of assists. Whether these figures mark him out to be the out-and-out striker that Leeds United need is another story, but he’d be a welcome addition in adding goals and guile up front.
Degree of fit for Leeds United 6/10
Chance of it happening: 3/10
Jordan Rhodes – Sheffield Wednesday
Rhodes has one thing in him that Leeds United need – the potential for goals. He’s shown this across his career – 196 goals from 424 games at the rate of a goal every 159 minutes. Whilst he has not been so prolific for recent clubs Sheffield Wednesday (55 games/10 goals) and Middlesbrough (24 games/6 goals), there is hope to be had in his record whilst at former clubs Blackburn Rovers (169 games/84 goals) and Huddersfield Town (147 games/86 goals).
With Leeds United looking for goals, and with a bristling attacking three that has Pablo Hernandez, Samu Saiz and Ezgjan Alioski feeding a striker, someone like Jordan Rhodes would blossom. There’s no doubt he can score goals, that he has goals in him – something that would enamour him to Leeds United fans. With goals at a premium for United, they could do worse than looking at Jordan Rhodes. Price might be more than a little tasty what with the Owls only paying Middlesbrough £10.5 million to bring him to Hillsborough last July after a half-season loan deal.
Degree of fit for Leeds United 7/10
Chance of it happening: 3/10
Jack Marriott
Leeds United fans want goals, Jack Marriott scores goals – a lot of them. That there is the solution of Leeds United’s problems in one phone call and one man – or so you’d think. Marriott arrived at current club Peterborough United only at the start of last season, the 23-year-old former Ipswich youngster moving from Luton Town in a said near £450,000 deal. If goals are worth £s then Marriott more than repaid Peterborough with 27 League One goals last season.
That’s the same number of goals that Leeds United were missing from one striker last season. Marriott showed that he was able to make the leap to League One from League Two where he scored 22 goals in 79 games for Luton Town. Leeds United have made similar purchases from lower leagues, bringing in free-scoring Kemar Roofe from Oxford United, Roofe scoring the goals that fired Oxford to League One. United have been linked with Marriott for some time now, and the odds of him arriving are steady at 4/1. Be a big price to get the 23-year-old Beverley-born striker away from Peterborough though.]
Degree of fit for Leeds United 8/10
Chance of it happening: 5/10
