JUST IN: Leeds Revealed transfer plea from vested-interest, What To Know

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes Leeds United should make a move for Blackburn Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics, last season’s league top scorer.

Leeds’ struggles in the past few seasons can be attributed to a number of problems, but one of them is having a consistent goalscoring presence in the final third.

Whether it’s the leading striker on the pitch at the time, or the fact that they have invested in the wrong profiles, it’s something that the club ought to be investing wiser in.

Peterborough chairman urges Leeds to sign Sammie Szmodics

One forward who could well be on the move this summer is Blackburn Rovers’ star man Sammie Szmodics, one of the runners-up to Crysencio Summerville in the Championship Player of the Season prize.

The Republic of Ireland international ended the season scooping up the golden boot with a stunning 27 goals and four assists to single-handedly drag Rovers out of relegation trouble on the final day against Leicester.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes Leeds should be pursuing the 28-year-old forward, speaking on Posh’s official site:

“Sammie, if I was at Leeds United, because they are going to lose some talent.

“Doing what they have to do – he is pretty much guaranteeing you promotion, because you’re buying the golden boot winner.

“That’s my tip Leeds fans, you should be buying Sammie Szmodics. Sorry Blackburn fans.”

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Forget Szmodics: Another Joel Piroe situation would unfold at Leeds

Rewind 12 months, and Leeds’ attempts to find a goalscorer for the Championship promotion push saw a massive clamour for Joel Piroe at Swansea City.

It was justified too, off the back of 41 goals in two Championship seasons in South Wales, but came with the glaring caveat that Piroe wouldn’t be able to play as an out-and-out number nine at Leeds, because that’s not his role, and would take some serious coaching to become that player – or a change in Daniel Farke’s setup to accommodate him.

Instead, Farke and Piroe stumbled between two roles for the Dutchman, in which neither really looked suited to him outside of his incredibly playoff semi-final outing against Norwich, a flash in the pan it appeared as he reverted to type at Wembley.

Looking at Szmodics, 27 goals for a side that would have finished 23rd in the league without him is an outstanding return and worthy of transfer attention, but not from Leeds.

He’s again a player that has demonstrated very little in the way of being a rounded striker that offers more than top-level finishing to his side, and Leeds need players that can create as well as score.

His match-winning display at Elland Road says it all, a game where he completed just six passes, had two shots, and lost the ball 13 times, but also scored the winner. A goalscorer that did nothing else for his team, like Piroe was last season with 14 goals.

Can Szmodics break down a low block when marked by two players? Can he counter-press from the front with effectiveness to stifle teams breaking at Leeds? Can he provide for his teammates on a regular basis? It would be hard to answer those questions based on his Blackburn stint, just like Piroe at Swansea.

Add to that the fact that we’re being instructed to make a signing from the chairman of Szmodics’ previous club – who has an obvious vested interest there by virtue of a possible sell-on clause.

Given Peterborough’s savvy transfer business over the years, it would be a surprise if they haven’t covered for this eventuality.