Leeds are yet to sign a striker this summer under Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds United begin their pre-season campaign on Tuesday night as they travel south to face League Two side Forest Green Rovers at the New Lawn, but are still yet to sign a striker.
The club have been linked with a big-money move for Matej Vydra of Derby County, but that is yet to go through while Abel Hernandez remains a free agent after his £40k-a-week contract at Hull City expired.
The Uruguay international has also been linked with Leeds, but Vydra seems to be the more likely candidate to sign for Leeds with the Whites reportedly approaching Derby back in May (Yorkshire Evening Post).
Now, Leeds have been linked with a new striker in the form of Kasimpasa goal machine Mbaye Diagne, who scored 12 goals in 17 SuperLig appearances last season. Talks are said to be underway.
Diagne, who was once on the books at Juventus, has three years remaining on his contract but a move to Leeds would see Marcelo Bielsa land one half of what could be a very exciting forward partnership.
The ‘little and large’ combination is not as favoured as it once was, with the modern footballing system usually incorporating only one striker. But Leeds have tried that, and it has only ended in failure in their bid to gain promotion.
Bielsa needs to shake-up the rule book and that could see him use a 4-4-2 system, including a big and little striker that was coined by Liverpool’s combination of Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.
Leeds could have their own, if indeed they manage to land both Diagne and Vydra. The combination of Diagne’s aerial ability with Vydra’s speed, quickness of thought and predatory instinct would surely give Leeds one of the most feared attacks in the Championship.
Signing both strikers and partnering the duo up top could be the key in ending Leeds’ 14-year wait for Premier League football.
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