As deals for strikers like Matej Vydra and Abel Hernandez seemingly fall by the wayside, old news crops up of reignited interest in a former Whites target.
Leeds United struggled last season due to a lack of consistency in front of goal with neither Kemar Roofe nor Pierre-Michel Lasogga able to find the back of the net with any degree of consistency.
It was obvious that new faces were needed, hence the ‘interest’ in both Derby County’s Vydra and free agent Hernandez. However exorbitant wage demands from both are said to have wrecked moves, Leeds having to look at alternative targets.
One of these that is raising some degree of interest is West Ham’s Jordan Hugill, a January transfer window buy from Preston North End. But even more interesting is news that the Whites are being linked with a renewed move for Carpi’s Jerry Mbakogu – a player recently granted Italian citizenship.
This is interest that has been on and off for long enough now to be termed a saga, and it was a saga seemingly dead and buried recently when news came through that Leeds had contacted Carpi to say that they would not be taking up a purchase option on Mbakogu that expired on June 30.
However, Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio says that that expiration has been kick-started back in to life and that United “are looking to make a deal.”
The Sky Sports Italia reporter goes on to say that “the issues blocking the deal could be resolved” before adding that “there could be significant movement forward this week.”
Whatever these issues are that need resolving, it might not leave Leeds United fans happy given that Mbakogu is hardly the most prolific of strikers. In an injury-hit season last time out, Mbakogu only featured 26 times in Serie B for Carpi, scoring six goals and adding three assists.
