Leeds United are reportedly close to completing their third signing of the summer transfer window with the addition of central defender Sebastiaan Bornauw from Wolfsburg.
The Belgian colossus was due for his medical at Thorp Arch on Monday and is now set to add more depth to a defensive unit that already includes Pascal Struijk, Max Wober, Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu, and recent signing Jaka Bijol.
Daniel Farke looks set to have plenty of options to choose from at the heart of his defence next season in the Premier League, and he is also looking to add more quality at the other end of the pitch.
Leeds pushing to sign new striker
Bornauw will be the second centre-back added to the squad, after Bijol, and the Whites are now in the market to make further attacking reinforcements.
Rodrigo Muniz appears to be one number nine target who is off the table for the club, though, as Fulham reportedly see him as not for sale amid interest from the West Yorkshire outfit.
According to the print edition of Corriere Dello Sport (30/06/2025), as relayed by MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United are pushing to sign Lecce centre-forward Nikola Krstovic in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the club’s interest in the Montenegro international has forced the Serie A clubs to start pursuing striker targets of their own to replace the forward, which speaks to the level of interest shown by the Championship champions.
It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be able to get a deal for the £21m-rated number nine over the line in the coming weeks.
Nikola Krstovic could be the next Chris Wood for Leeds
If the Whites can secure the 25-year-old striker’s signature, then they could find their next version of Chris Wood, who scored 44 goals in 88 matches during his time at Elland Road in the Championship.
After leaving Leeds to sign for Burnley, Wood proved himself to be a dependable Premier League goalscorer, with a return of 89 goals in 263 games for the Clarets, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United combined. That is a return of between 12 and 13 goals per 38 appearances.
In Krstovic, Leeds could find a physical and mobile centre-forward, like Wood, who can also consistently deliver that level of quality in front of goal in the top-flight.
The 25-year-old star ended the 2024/25 campaign with a haul of 11 goals in 37 Serie A outings for Lecce, which shows that he can score goals at a respectable rate in a major European league.
As well as being a striker who has the potential to add a goal threat to Farke’s squad in the Premier League next season, Krstovic is also similar to Wood in the sense that he provides a physical presence in the number nine role.
|
24/25 season |
Krstovic (Serie A) |
Wood (Premier League) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
37 |
36 |
|
Goals |
11 |
20 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
3 |
|
Assists |
5 |
3 |
|
Duels won |
4.9 |
3.5 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
40% |
35% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
41% |
39% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, the Lecce star offered even more physicality to his team in the Serie A than the New Zealand international did for Forest in the Premier League, winning a higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air.
Krstovic, who was hailed as “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, stands at 6 foot 1 and, clearly, has the attributes to compete with physical centre-backs at the top level.
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Leeds United could soon seal another fantastic defensive deal by landing this cut-price star.
Therefore, Farke could land his own version of Wood by landing a deal for the Serie A marksman, who could provide goals, assists, and physicality in the Premier League next term.
