Newly promoted Leeds United have been offered the chance to sign Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi as they look to bolster their attack.
It’s thought that the Italian side would be keen to offload the Iranian veteran to free up room for Manchester United’s Rasmus Højlund, who will be on the way out if Benjamin Šeško arrives at Old Trafford this summer.
Mehdi Taremi’s pedigree is clear. At Porto, he was prolific, racking up 147 goal contributions in 182 appearances. However, since moving to Inter, he has had a less noticeable impact.
Last season, he managed just three goals and nine assists in 43 games and didn’t feature in the 5-0 Champions League Final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. However, he did register an assist in the semi-final victory over Barcelona.
Taremi isn’t the only seasoned striker that Leeds United have been offered the chance to sign in recent days.
Former Fulham striker Aleksander Mitrovic has also been linked with a move to Elland Road despite his excellent goal-scoring form for Al-Hilal. The Serbian top scorer has 68 goals in 79 games for the Saudi side, but they could be looking to move him on as they attempt to make room for Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, who has been looking for a fresh start all summer.
Norwich’s Josh Sargent is also rumoured to be on Daniel Farke’s wish list, although no official move has been made yet.
Last season, Sargent impressed, registering 20 goal contributions in 32 games and attracting attention from Europe. The 25-year-old would also fit Farke’s transfer preferences, having previously played in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen.
Leeds United’s business so far
The Championship winners are keen to sign a new striker ahead of their latest season back in the Premier League.
Their current forward, Joel Piroe, finished as the second division’s top goalscorer last season, but Leeds will want a forward with more top-flight experience to help them avoid a relegation battle.
Longtime forward Patrick Bamford does have that experience, but his form and game time have dropped gradually over the last few seasons. Now his manager, Daniel Farke, has told him to train away from the squad in preparation for a move away.
It appears that up front is the only area left for Farke to fill after having stocked up in defence and midfield.
Lille’s Gabriel Gudmundsson joined Leeds for £10million in a deal which looks to replace the outgoing Junior Firpo and represents a smart bit of recruitment in tying down a defender with European experience.
Strong centre backs Jake Bijol and Sebastien Bornauw will also help solidify the Leeds backline, which will have to be strong to keep the Yorkshire team above the dreaded relegation zone.
Midfielders Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach have also been added to the squad and will bring more top-flight experience.
Perhaps the most important signing has been between the goalposts with the recruitment of Lyon’s Lucas Perri.
Following Illan Meslier’s shaky season last year, Leeds fans were crying out for a new keeper, especially as the Frenchman’s form nearly cost them promotion. Perri only spent one season in the south of France but had a save percentage of 74.4%, a whole 1.7% more than Meslier in six fewer games.
Leeds fans will be hoping Perri has safer keeper gloves than Meslier ahead of the new season.
