Leeds Transfer News: Marcelo Bielsa's side eye deal for "powerful" forward | OneFootball

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·26 August 2021

Leeds Transfer News: Marcelo Bielsa's side eye deal for "powerful" forward

Article image:Leeds Transfer News: Marcelo Bielsa's side eye deal for "powerful" forward

Leeds United are interested in signing striker Daryl Dike on loan, according to TEAMtalk.

Article image:Leeds Transfer News: Marcelo Bielsa's side eye deal for "powerful" forward

What's the latest transfer news involving Dike?

The Premier League side do not have a great deal of strength in depth up front at the moment, as they were heavily reliant on Patrick Bamford leading the line last term.


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They could look to rectify that in the final days of the transfer window, though, by bringing in Dike on a temporary basis.

What were Dike's stats during his previous spell in England?

Dike currently plays in America for Orlando City but he spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship at Barnsley.

He made a very positive impression, netting nine goals in 19 appearances in the second tier. This included braces against Wycombe and Luton, as the Tykes secured a spot in the play-offs.

They were unable to progress past the semi-finals as they lost out to Swansea, but Dike was able to return to the US with his reputation enhanced.

What's been said about Dike?

Dike caught the eye of former Premier League striker Emile Heskey with his performances at Barnsley, and he received plenty of praise from the ex-England man earlier this year.

As quoted by HITC, Heskey said: “(Dike) is a strong, powerful lad who knows where the back of the net is, who understands his strengths and ability and runs with it.

“When you’re talking about a powerful, powerful player, with the ability to hold the ball up as the lone striker, there will be so many clubs who need and want that."

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Article image:Leeds Transfer News: Marcelo Bielsa's side eye deal for "powerful" forward

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Would he go straight into the Leeds starting XI?

Realistically, Dike would probably find himself behind Bamford in the pecking order to start with. The 27-year-old shone in the top-flight last season, scoring 17 league goals, and deserves to continue as the focal point of the attack for now.

He has started this season a little slowly, though, failing to find the net in Leeds' opening two league games as the side have taken just one point from these matches.

If Leeds can sign Dike, he could provide some competition for Bamford moving forwards. This should lead to both players stepping up their games as they battle for the same spot in Marcelo Bielsa's team.

That can only be a positive for Leeds, having two high-quality strikers pushing each other to reach new heights which could lead to the side enjoying another impressive campaign.

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