While Leeds United have been chasing unknown imports, Ricky Holmes has agreed a new contract at Charlton Athletic.
It’s difficult to pass judgement on the majority of the players joining Leeds United this summer. Mostly because Samu Saiz, Mateusz Klich and Felix Wiedwald aren’t exactly household names in England.
And the same can be said about Ezgjan Alioski, a Macedonian international first linked with Leeds by Swiss newspaper Blick. With 17 goals and 14 assists for Lugano in the Switzerland top flight last season, the 25-year-old’s stats certainly look impressive on paper.
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Though it’s impossible to tell whether he could replicate that influence on British shores. Therefore, you could argue that it makes sense for Leeds to have one or two ‘safer’ options in mind.
Like Charlton Athletic’s Ricky Holmes for example. Kent Live claimed that the West Yorkshire giants were prepared to battle Sheffield United for The Addicks’ Player of the Year, who stood out in League One with 12 goals last season.
With his contract expiring next summer, at the time, he could have been available on a cut-price deal while his journeyman career means he has plenty of experience in the Football League, albeit largely in League’s One and Two.
Holm is where the heart is
However, after weeks of speculation, South London Press reported on Monday that Charlton could be about to pull off quite the coup by getting the 30-year-old to agree a new deal at The Valley on improved terms.
Charlton Athletic were determined not to lose Ricky Holmes
Addicks boss Karl Robinson had made securing Holmes’ future his primary aim this summer and he was not disappointed as the 30-year-old signed his deal in the afternoon.
With Leeds chasing targets elsewhere, it appears that they were unable to secure someone who would have been a super signing at Elland Road. But, given that Alioski is completely unproven in England, you wonder whether that could be a mistake.
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