3 reasons why Leeds United must beat Wolves in transfer tussle for Southampton attacker | OneFootball

It’s sure to be a busy summer at Leeds United, regardless of whether Daniel Farke’s side win promotion to the Premier League or not.

That uncertainty about which division the side will be in is far from ideal for the recruitment team, who will no doubt be drawing up two lists of potential targets.

1 Leeds United and Wolves keen on Southampton’s Che Adams

However, one player who is thought to be on their radar irrespective of what happens over the next month is Southampton striker Che Adams.

The 27-year-old is out of contract at St. Mary’s Stadium in the summer, and there are major doubts about his future, even though he remains an important player under Russell Martin, having scored 13 goals in 35 Championship appearances this season, to help Saints to fourth.

Recent reports have claimed that Wolves and Leeds are both interested in the Scotland international, so it appears he could have a big decision to make on his future.

Realistically, you would expect the Whites’ only chance of landing Adams is if they go up, but, in that case, some would argue his record is underwhelming.

Yet, on a free, landing the ex-Birmingham City man should be viewed as shrewd business, and here we outline THREE reasons why Leeds must do all they can to convince Adams his future should be at Elland Road…

He’s a bargain

Leeds’ recent accounts showed another hefty loss for the Yorkshire club, and whilst they remain comfortably inside the PSR regulations, all clubs are now aware that they can’t just splash the cash without consequences.

Therefore, the summer will be about finding bargains, and you have to say that picking up a player like Adams without a fee involved means he falls into that category.

This is a player who has over 100 appearances in the Premier League under his belt, and he’s sure to feature for Scotland at Euro 2024.

It may not be the most glamorous and exciting addition, but Adams would normally cost multi-millions, and he’s now available for just his wages, which shouldn’t be too much for Leeds.

They need a striker

Following on from that, this is clearly a position that Farke needs to strengthen this summer.

Patrick Bamford has endured a difficult few months, and there are doubts about his suitability for the club right now, so, in the eyes of most fans, he would need to be upgraded if they went up.

Similarly, Joel Piroe hasn’t convinced, and whilst Mateo Joseph looks an outstanding talent, it was telling that Farke didn’t give the Spanish U21 international a start when dropping Bamford for the Blackburn fixture on Saturday.

You would expect Leeds to be in the market for two strikers this summer, so Adams would help add depth to a problem position.

Leeds spent big money in the summer of 2022, funded by the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, in the hope of kicking-on, but it’s clear that they made some major mistakes.

And, a common theme among the new recruits was the lack of Premier League experience, with Luis Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronson, Max Wober, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca among the arrivals.

At the time, they all looked like decent signings, but this was proof that top-level experience in English football is important, as many of them struggled to settle and adapt.

With Adams, that wouldn’t be a concern. He had four years in the Premier League with Southampton, so he knows what it’s about. He can deal with the physicality, he can win free-kicks when needed, he can run the channels, and he can link play.

His goal record does need improving, but Adams is a player that can do a job, and that know-how could be invaluable to a young, inexperienced Leeds squad.