Could appointing Steve Bruce see Leeds target Lewis Grabban again?

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Leeds United have been linked with a surprise move for Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce amid uncertainty over Paul Heckingbottom’s position.

While speculation surrounding Paul Heckingbottom’s future will probably come as little surprise to Leeds supporters given the start that he has made to his tenure at Elland Road, the Daily Star’s suggestion that Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce is on the Whites’ radar may have caught a number of fans off guard.

The Star have suggested that Heckingbottom is not guaranteed to still be in charge of Leeds next season and Bruce is one manager that Andrea Radrizzani is considering after the Villans’ agonising defeat to Fulham at Wembley on Saturday.

Villa’s inability to secure promotion has thrown a huge amount of doubt over what is going to happen at the club over the summer. The Sun reports that John Terry will leave the Villans in the coming months, while a number of the loanees will not be returning next season due to the pressure of Financial Fair Play regulations.

One player who may therefore, not be returning in any capacity next term is Lewis Grabban, the striker that Bruce brought in on loan in January. According to the Birmingham Mail, Villa had hoped to keep the 30-year-old next term and would have considered a permanent move if they had gone up with Bournemouth asking for £5 million before sanctioning a more substantial deal.

Villa may perhaps be out of the race to sign Grabban, but if Leeds appoint Bruce this summer, then perhaps the Whites should consider going after the striker that Garry Monk wanted to bring to Elland Road in January 2017 according to Sky Sports’ live transfer blog (31/01/17; 19:08).

If Bruce was appointed by Leeds, one of the first issues that he would have to address is the lack of genuine striker options available to him right now. The Whites’ forwards struggled for much of last season, so it would perhaps be little surprise if Grabban is one of the names that the club discuss targeting this summer – whether they target Bruce or not.

Grabban scored 20 goals in 37 Championship games last season. That is the kind of goalscoring return that Leeds may well need if they are going to put themselves in the promotion mix next term, and having Bruce at the helm may make the club more appealing to the forward when he considers his options.

It would be a gamble to pay £5 million to sign a player who will be 31 during the next January window. But perhaps, if the club make the stunning move to try and appoint Bruce as head coach, the fans should not be at all shocked if Grabban is one name that features high on his shopping list.