Leeds United wanted to sign Aron Johannsson from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen before turning attention to Pierre-Michel Lasogga
It’s not just Premier League teams who have been left scorned after placing their trust in an Eredivisie goal-machine. Aron Johannsson was one of the most prolific strikers in Dutch football but, since securing a move to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen in 2015, his career has ground to a halt.
In two-and-a-bit years, Johannsson has featured in just 16 Bundesliga games and scored three goals. Though this is not all down to a Vincent Janssen-esque failure to adapt to a new league.
The 26-year-old USA international has missed 46 games through injury since moving to Bremen from AZ Alkmaar and, as a result, has fallen well down the pecking order. Johannsson is clearly in need of a fresh start, having featured for just three minutes in the Bundesliga this season and frequently being left out of the matchday squad.
And while DeichStube reports that Leeds United were priced out of a move for the striker this summer, a deal could certainly be on the cards in January.
Leeds were alleged to have been interested in Johannsson and, while Bremen were willing to sell, their £4 million price-tag for an injury hit striker proved a little steep. Consequently, Leeds turned their attention to another Bundesliga striker, Pierre-Michel Lasogga, and signed him on loan from Hamburg.
Johansson, who wanted to leave Bremen in the summer, would surely benefit from departing the club as soon as possible with manager Alexander Nouri seemingly unlikely to include the striker in his first-team plans for the foreseeable future.
The question, however, is whether Leeds will accept paying such a fee for a striker who’s reputation is in tatters after a disastrous two-year spell. Lasogga is unlikely to stay at Elland Road beyond the season, meaning Leeds will need a replacement eventually.
And perhaps Johansson’s creditable tally of 39 goals in 81 games for AZ between 2012 and 2015 is enough to overlook his struggles in Germany.
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