Football League World
·14 August 2023
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·14 August 2023
Leeds United have taken an interest in Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs who spoke to Give Me Sport.
The Whites are in need of quite a few additions before the summer transfer window closes, not just to address current gaps but also to replace those who are likely to leave the club between now and the end of the summer transfer window.
Willy Gnonto may not be for sale at this point - but a change in stance could potentially see him move on before the start of next month and Daniel Farke will be keen to ensure he has as much squad depth as possible.
With plenty of players unavailable for the trip to Birmingham City last weekend, that showcased just how little depth they have in some areas, with the Whites' squad looking a shadow of what it was last season.
That will be concerning for Farke who may be expected to get the West Yorkshire side back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, with the club forking out fees on the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow.
Rodrigo and Tyler Roberts have left the club and although Georginio Rutter remains at the club, it's unclear whether he will still be a Leeds player by the time the transfer window closes.
Patrick Bamford may also be available as an option at some point - but the likes of Sonny Perkins and Joe Gelhardt may benefit from going out on loan. The latter was unable to make an impact at St Andrew's on Saturday and didn't do enough to earn a place in the starting lineup again for the next game.
The Whites may also lose attacking firepower if they cash in on the likes of Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville, with Jack Harrison potentially on his way out too.
With this in mind, bringing in another striker certainly wouldn't be the worst decision and it will be interesting to see whether they are able to strengthen their attack adequately before the summer window closes.
Revealing Leeds' interest in Archer, who is available for a move away from Villa Park, Jacobs also believes Middlesbrough will still be in the race to secure the striker's signature.
He said: "With Archer, what's interesting is that he's been made for sale now. So there is an opportunity to do that deal. He's had a couple of good loan spells in the Championship including with Middlesbrough and now, Aston Villa are willing to let him go.
"I think that he put himself in the short window with I believe, a couple of goals and an assist at the under 21 Euros for England. He also scored plenty of goals he got into double figures for Middlesbrough last season and I think that was only in about 20-odd appearances and he added several assists on top of that.
"So that can be one to watch because Aston Villa are now prepared to sell him. Leeds are one of the clubs no doubt Middlesbrough are another. So I would expect movement on Archer between now and the end of the window."
Archer would be a real game-changer for Farke considering how much of a prolific goalscorer he is at this level.
Able to play up front on his own and as part of a forward pairing, that could give Farke the option to switch up his formations regularly and that's a great luxury for the ex-Norwich City manager to have.
Other positions do need to be addressed - but the addition of Archer would be good.
The only barrier that could prevent this move from happening is finances - because they may not be able to afford to bring him in on a permanent deal.