Forget Szmodics: Leeds United need two far smarter additions if attacker pursuit is true

Leeds United have been strongly linked with a move to sign Blackburn Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics this week, but he’s not someone the club should shell big money for.

Getting out of the Championship brings huge pressure to find the right solutions in the transfer market each window, knowing the pitfalls of spending big are large if the payoff isn’t as desired.

Therefore, there comes a risk with looking chiefly at the top scorer charts for improvements to the lineup.

Leeds interested in signing Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn

TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook shared this week that Leeds had formalised their interest in Blackburn Rovers goalscorer Sammie Szmodics.

It comes amid bids rejected from Ipswich Town for the 28-year-old golden boot winner, with Rovers in a position where a sale is most likely.

https://x.com/alex_crook/status/1815681930014151055

Szmodics fired Blackburn to survival last season with a remarkable 27 goals in the Championship, off the back of five goals in the season prior.

While Szmodics has proven undoubtedly that he is a good player, he is yet to prove how he would be a sufficient fit for Leeds in their current attack.

Instead, we look at two players Leeds would be better off signing to add to their front line this season…

Jon Rowe – Norwich City

If we’re assuming that Crysencio Summerville (and potentially Willy Gnonto) is heading out of Elland Road, replacing his left-sided goalscoring threat is a massive priority.

One of the next best players in the Championship is someone that Leeds fans will be somewhat familiar with in Norwich City’s Jon Rowe, one of the top talents from last season in the second tier.

At 21, Rowe isn’t quite at the same level as Summerville, but possesses the same direct attacking quality of the Dutchman coming in off the left.

Not only that, but the Englishman also comes with solid output without the ball too, crucial to Farke’s pressing structure.

Farke will no doubt be familiar with Rowe’s talents in the Norwich youth system, making his debut shortly after the German was dismissed from Carrow Road.

Fabio Carvalho – Liverpool

Having spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City, Fabio Carvalho is another that tormented Leeds, scoring at Elland Road in the Whites’ 3-1 win amidst an overall impressive attacking display from the Tigers.

He’s on the fringes at Liverpool, virtually surplus to requirements and in need of a better permanent home than Anfield – something Leeds could and should be offering in a loan-to-buy scenario.

Szmodics is a central attacker that can play off a striker with good effect, and if that’s the role Leeds are buying for, they’d be getting a much more rounded forward in the young Portuguese man, who has more to his locker than finishing chances.

He might not score as many, but Leeds would look a more cohesive side going forward while saving the eight-figure sum that Szmodics looks like costing.