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As West Ham United and Nottingham Forest continue to be sucked further into the Premier League relegation zone, Leeds United aim to seek division.
It has been an incredible change of fortune at Elland Road in such a short space of time, with November proving to be an extremely gloomy month when Daniel Wake’The team’s men have lost four league matches in a row, leaving the German to worry about his job security.
Now, however, he appears to be the ideal man to guide Leeds to safety, with a draw at Liverpool to start the new year moving the Whites even further away from their relegation rivals at the foot of the competitive division.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been key to Leeds’ recent uptick in form, with eight superb Premier League strikes next to his name.
Yet Farke could see the January transfer window as an opportunity to add even more goals to his side’s reinvigorated ranks, as several attackers are now tipped to move to West Yorkshire…
Leeds looking to sign new striker
The former Norwich City manager will not want his side to rely too heavily on the free-flowing number nine as matches continue to come in quick succession.
Recent reports have suggested the Premier League newcomers have PSV Eindhoven centre-forward Ricardo Pepi on their shopping list in that regard, with a whopping £35 million price tag reportedly over the 22-year-old’s head.
Alongside the hunted Pepi, Leeds are also considering AS Roma shooter Artem Dovbyk in January, with a new report from TuttoMercatoWeb indicating that a loan departure from the Italian capital appears likely, as Los Blancos and Sunderland remain interested. If he were to move permanently, then fees of around £21 million might well be necessary.
With Everton and West Ham United also previously noted as observers, this could well be a transfer battle to watch as the hectic month unfolds, with Farke no doubt keen to bring in the Ukrainian as the striker’s Serie A goalscoring exploits in Italy and beyond make him a very exciting rival for Calvert-Lewin’s concrete starting spot.
Why Dovbyk is good enough to compete with Calvert-Lewin
The instinctive centre-forward would surely be licking his lips at the thought of becoming the former Everton striker’s second mortal, having scored 19 goals for Gian Piero Gasperini’s men to date.
There is also a questionable hole to fill, with Lukas Nmecha unfortunately plagued by worrying injuries since joining the Elland Road ranks in the summer as another striker option.
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Dovbyk’s career numbers compared to DCL’s |
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Statistical |
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Games played |
286 |
344 |
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Goals scored |
133 |
97 |
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Aids |
33 |
25 |
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From Transfermarkt |
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Of course, despite being ruled out of Liverpool’s away clash due to a congested schedule, Calvert-Lewin will remain Leeds’ star man for the foreseeable future, with the Sheffield-born threat now reaching 65 Premier League goals after a red-hot spell in West Yorkshire, which saw him score eight league goals.
But the table above supports the idea that Dovbyk is more than enough as a lethal finisher in his own right to push the revitalized Englishman all the way, with a remarkable 43 career goals in Serie A and La Liga.
Farke would also not feel too perturbed by the prospect of a 40-time Ukraine international having to become his main goalscorer, with his insane form for former employers Girona seeing him score 24 goals in just 36 La Liga clashes during the 2023/24 campaign, as Dovbyk has even been hailed as a “sensational” focal point of ex-boss Michel Sanchez.
It hasn’t gone entirely Dovbyk’s way at the Stadio Olimpico, with just three Serie A starts this season so far.
Yet he knows, when an opportunity presents itself, that he can take a chance at any time, with a sublime three-goal contribution next to his name for Roma this campaign, even if he is mainly used as a reserve option.
Leeds will no doubt see how impressive Dovbyk has been in his appearances in Italy as a major reason why they want to secure his loan services, with an extra injection of attacking quality in some crucial games ahead making survival even easier to clinch.
Calvert-Lewin would be kept on his toes by Roma’s number nine, leaving Italy behind for West Yorkshire, while Farke uses whatever squad he has to ensure his troops do not fall victim to rusty displays.
