Leeds are “crying out” for “exciting” marksman

Leeds United could move back into the automatic promotion places after their clash with Derby County in the Championship this weekend, if results go their way.

The Whites are only two points behind Sheffield United at the top of the table and could return to the top if both Burnley and the Blades fail to win, whilst they come out on top against Paul Warne’s side.

Daniel Farke’s team are third in the division at the moment and that is the position they finished in at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before they eventually lost in the play-off final.

The West Yorkshire outfit should be looking to avoid the play-offs this time around and that means that they need to aim for a top two finish to secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Leeds fell out of the top two after they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers in the Championship last time out, as the Whites failed to break through John Eustace’s defence.

The January transfer window opens for business next month and they have been urged to consider swooping for a striker to bolster their attacking options.

Leeds are crying out for prolific forward

Speaking to Football League World, former Championship midfielder and now pundit Carlton Palmer claims that the Whites are “crying out” for a striker like Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Dor Turgeman.

It was recently reported that Leeds have made an approach for the 21-year-old marksman and that his club are set to demand a fee of more than €5m (£4.1m) for his services, whilst they will also attempt to hold out until the summer.

At this moment in time, it is unclear as to whether or not the Championship giants are willing to splash that kind of cash on a forward in the upcoming January transfer window.

Palmer, however, states that signing the Tel Aviv gem could be a deal worth doing to bolster their frontline, because of the qualities that he could provide in the second half of the season.

He told Football League World: “They have made an official approach and he’s having a good season so far this season. He’s doing well and it might be worth a gamble. Depending on how much he’s going to cost, but Leeds are crying out for a striker for the way they play.

“They need someone who can split the defence and show composure in the penalty area, which is something Turgeman is showing in abundance.”

Palmer adds that it is a transfer that “makes sense” for the right price, as Joel Piroe has struggled at times in a “classic” number nine role, whilst Mateo Joseph has had “growing pains” as a starter at Elland Road.

Mateo Joseph’s form this season

The Spain U21 international has emerged as a genuine starting-quality option for Farke in the Championship this season, after all 20 of his league appearances came off the bench last term.

A product of the academy, Joseph has developed throughout his time at Elland Road and has started nine matches in the second division so far this season, which shows that the German tactician has more faith in him than he did in the previous campaign.

It has not been a smooth transition to regular starts for the Spanish forward, who previously played for England at U20 level, however, as he has struggled at times in front of goal.

As you can see in the table above, Joseph has only scored two goals in 18 appearances in the division and has underperformed against his xG by 1.44 goals, which suggests that he should have between one and two more goals – at least.

He has, however, provided an impressive level of creativity from a centre-forward position, with four ‘big chances’ created in eight starts, and this shows that the youngster has provided value on the pitch for Leeds, albeit not as a regular goalscorer.

Farke, though, could now swoop for Turgeman, when the January transfer window opens for business, and land an even bigger prospect than Joseph for the Whites.

Why Dor Turgeman is a bigger prospect than Mateo Joseph

The Israel international, 21, is the same age as the Leeds youngster but has already showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis at first-team level.

He has caught the eye with his performances for Tel Aviv during the 2024/25 campaign and, whilst you could argue that the Israeli top-flight is a different level to the Championship, the forward has delivered in the Europa League.

Turgeman has scored four goals and provided two assists in eight appearances in Europe, in qualifiers and league phase matches, so far this season, which shows that he has the quality to step up on the European stage.

This means that the 21-year-old centre-forward, who was described as “very exciting” by The Rangers Journal’s Kai Watson, has scored twice as many goals in Europe as Joseph (two) has in all competitions this term.

Along with his impressive performances in the Europa League, Turgeman has also provided regular quality at league level for his club this season.

As you can see in the table above, the £4.1m-rated marksman has produced a staggering 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in just six league starts Maccabi Tel Aviv.

His one ‘big chance’ missed in his nine appearances speaks to the striker’s ruthless nature in front of goal, as the youngster has taken the majority of his big openings in the division.

Overall, Turgeman could arrive at Elland Road as an even bigger talent than Joseph as he has shown more quality, domestically and in Europe, as a scorer and a creator of goals than the Leeds man has at the same age.

Therefore, Farke must push for the board to secure a deal to sign the impressive youngster ahead of the second half of the campaign, as he could provide an added goal threat for the Whites to push for promotion to the Premier League.