Leeds “pushing” to complete deal for “integral” £26m star

Leeds United have less than two weeks to prepare for their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Everton at Elland Road.

It will be the club’s first top-flight match in more than two years, since their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in West Yorkshire under the management of Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Daniel Farke will now be hoping to be more Marcelo Bielsa than Sam Allardyce or Javi Gracia, as the German head coach attempts to guide the team to safety.

The Whites boss will want more options to pick from at the top end of the pitch, though, as Lukas Nmecha is currently the only attacking player who has been added to the squad during the summer transfer window.

As you can see in the quotes above, Farke has made it clear that the club need to bring in more attackers, including a replacement for Manor Solomon.

The Championship champions should also be on the lookout for a marquee number nine addition, as it remains to be seen whether or not Joel Piroe has what it takes to make the step up.

Leeds have doubts over Joel Piroe’s Premier League ability

Back in May, Football Insider reported that Leeds would not build their Premier League attack around the Dutchman, because they have doubts over his suitability for the top-flight.

The outlet stated that the Whites were not planning for the former Swansea marksman to be their first-choice number nine for the 2025/26 campaign, because of their doubts.

This may seem like an odd stance for the club to take after Piroe won the Golden Boot with 19 goals in the Championship for Leeds last season, but it is one that makes sense.

The Whites won the league with 100 points and were utterly dominant in the second tier, which meant that they were able to carry a striker like Piroe, who does not offer much to the team from a physical perspective.

In the Premier League, however, his lack of mobility and strength could cause problems as a starting number nine, as Leeds will be fighting against relegation rather than dominating matches.

As you can see in the table above, Piroe was far too weak in duels with opposition players and ranked incredibly lowly among his positional peers in a host of physical metrics.

Leeds pushing to sign Serie A striker

Piroe’s lack of physicality, in terms of both speed and strength, may be why the Championship champions are reportedly eyeing up a new centre-forward.

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Leeds United are “pushing” to complete a deal to sign Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic from Italian side Lecce.

The reporter claims that the 25-year-old marksman has been given the “green light” to pursue a move away from the Serie A outfit this summer, which has opened the door to a potential transfer to Elland Road.

Vidal adds that the former Red Star Belgrade marksman is “high” on Farke’s wishlist of attacking reinforcements, with the club now pushing to get a deal done for the striker.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Lecce value the centre-forward at a fee of around £26m, although it remains to be seen how much Leeds are willing to pay for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Nikola Krstovic

The Whites should sign the Serie A number nine because he would come in as a big upgrade on Joel Piroe for Farke ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser against Everton.

Unlike the current Leeds forward, Krstovic has already proven his quality in one of Europe’s major leagues with his performances for Lecce over the past two seasons, proving that he can score goals at an impressive rate.

The £26m-rated striker scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 37 appearances in the Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, which is a very respectable return for a player in a team that battled relegation, and successfully, it is worth noting.

Krstovic’s contributions at the top end of the pitch helped Lecce to finish 17th in the division, three points above the bottom three, which shows that he can step up and deliver crucial goals to help a team in a relegation battle.

Along with his potential to be an excellent goalscorer for Leeds, having scored 21 goals in the last two seasons, the Serie A star would also come in as a big upgrade on Piroe from a physical perspective.

As you can see in the table above, the Lecce centre-forward ranked above average in most of the physical metrics that Piroe ranked among the worst in the Championship for.

Krstovic, who was hailed as “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, is a strong number nine who can hold his own in duels, on and off the ball, to provide his team with a strong outlet up front.

This means that he would be far more useful to Farke as a starter in the Premier League, as Leeds are likely to be battling the drop and will need a striker who can provide relief by winning fouls and duels, which is not Piroe’s strong suit.

Therefore, Krstovic could be an ideal signing for the Whites to come in as a proven goalscorer and physical presence in the number ninerole ahead of Piroe.