West Ham United striker Ashley Fletcher reportedly came close to signing for Leeds United in January – but another move may be in the offing.
Ivan Bravo (Far L)
While Leeds United’s disappointing performances on the pitch have put paid to their promotion hopes for another season, there’s some interesting activity going on behind the scenes.
Just a week after former Real Madrid strategist Ivan Bravo was appointed onto the club’s board of directors, the Yorkshire giants look set to appoint West Ham’s managing director Angus Kinnear as their new chief executive, as reported by The Standard.
And while this is unlikely to ease the pain of throwing away their play-off chances at the final hurdle, Kinnear’s connections could give Leeds a timely boost in the summer transfer market.
Particularly if they attempt to renew a deal to bring Ashley Fletcher to Elland Road. The Daily Mail reported in January that manager Garry Monk was interested in signing the 21-year-old West Ham youngster on loan – despite rising through the academy of cross-Pennine rivals Manchester United.
And with Fletcher spending the entire second half of the season stuck in the reserves, his last appearance coming in January’s 4-0 home humiliation to Manchester City, it would be no surprise if the club were to let him leave on a temporary basis this summer.
If Leeds thought they needed a striker in the mid-season window, their late collapse has only proved them correct in hindsight. Chris Wood, the Championship’s top scorer, has continued to fire but Leeds’ second most prolific player, Souleymane Doukara, has just six.
Therefore, regardless of whether or not Wood leaves in the summer, a goalscorer should be top of the club’s priorities. And with Kinnear on board, you cannot rule out the prospect of Leeds returning with another offer for Fletcher in the summer.
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