The situation surrounding Leeds United’s Mirco Antenucci is becoming a little more murky as every game passes the Elland Road outfit by, courtesy of his upturn in form.
Buoyed by a reinvigorated burst of form, Mirco Antenucci has surged ahead of Chris Wood and the 31-year-old Italian frontman now heads the Leeds United scoring charts with nine goals – including four in his last three Leeds games.
However, whilst some fans are clamouring that the bearded Italian be given a contract extension due, in most part to his prowess as a finisher who gives Leeds United that something extra and intangible, there are other pockets of the fanbase who don’t agree.
These fans point out the fact that Antenucci was seemingly unsettled during the January transfer window and that Italian Serie B side Ascoli, who signed Leeds’ Tommasso Bianchi on a half-season loan, were interested in him, with only the sizeable wage he’d command being an obstacle for the second tier Italian side. There were even reports that the popular Italian’s wife was ‘homesick’ and angling for a move back to the terra firma of Italian soil.
Still, should Mirco bid ciao to his time at Leeds United, here’s two local options that the Whites should look at as his replacement.
1. Nahki Wells – Huddersfield
The Terriers visit Elland Road today with Leeds United having to be wary of the options that the Bermudan brings to the team. Wells is a proven goal scorer at Championship level over his three seasons at the John Smith Stadium.
Testament to this are his 32 Championship goals over the previous three campaigns with the diminutive striker netting 14 league goals this term so far. These 14 goals have come at the rate of a goal every 198 minutes, a total that puts him in that elusive bracket of a 20-goal-a-season striker.
Like Antenucci, Bermudan Wells is a shorter striker at 1m 70cm or 5’8″ and he shares certain characteristics with Antenucci. He his fleet of foot which is something that would suit the style of play that seems to be developing at Elland Road. He also has good touch and control to go with his speed across the pitch.
Nahki Wells would be an instant, like-for-like replacement for an Antenucci returning to the terra firma of Italy, should this be the case, but he won’t come cheap. Cellino will have to dig deep into his pockets to fund this signing should it be one that Leeds United want to make.
2. Sam Winnall – Barnsley
Leeds United know just where they stand with Barnsley regarding Sam Winnall, nowhere – at the moment. This stance is courtesy of a £300,000 bid by the Whites that was dismissed out-of-hand as being of a derisory nature.
Ex-Wolves player Winnall certainly knows where the net is, the striker having scored 17 League One goals this term, these coming at the rate of a goal every 153 minutes. To put this in perspective, this scoring rate brackets 25-year-old Winnall as having the potential to be in the 25+ goals bracket per season.
Whilst there would obviously be a drop off in terms of goals scored with the move up the Championship level, Winnall coming up against better defenders, goals wouldn’t leave him. Just as punch and power are the last things a heavyweight boxer has left in his armoury when all other attributes have diminished, goal are what strikers have left in the tank.
Should Leeds wish to revisit Oakwell and make enquiries about Sam Winnall, regarding acquiring his services, the Whites know where they stand. £300,000 offered by The Elland Road outfit isn’t enough, the Tykes valuing their striker much higher than that and in the £1m+ bracket.
