Nugent’s best years are behind him but spearheading The Whites’ promotion bid would be his biggest achievement yet.
Another day, another striker linked with Garry Monk’s Leeds United. And today’s prospective predator is about as far removed from West Ham United’s teenager forward Ashley Fletcher, linked with a January loan move from West Ham per The Sun, as it is possible to get.
David Nugent and his 21-year-old counterpart may be at different ends of their careers, but both appear equally realistic targets for a Leeds side whose reliance upon Chris Wood for goals could derail their promotion bid if he hits a barren spell later in the campaign. The New Zealander might have enjoyed a season-long purple patch but he’s not exactly renowned for consistency.
According to the Northern Echo, Middlesbrough are ready to let Nugent leave after he once again failed to make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League. The one-time England international, and goalscorer, suffered the same fate with Portsmouth and Burnley and, with no top flight appearances in three months, lightning looks set to strike three times.
Therefore, a return to his favoured second tier habitat appears to suit all parties. Nugent has scored 57 times in his previous four Championship seasons with Leicester City and Middlesbrough while, in an added advantage, he and Wood know each other rather well, netting 27 between them during the 2012/13 season at the King Power.
Meanwhile, although his goal set Yorkshire rivals Barnsley on their way to victory in last season’s League One play-off final, Fletcher has not played a single minute in the second tier, making him something of an unknown quantity. And, at ten years Nugent’s senior, he would only add more inexperience to an already youthful squad.
In 31-year-old Nugent, Leeds know exactly what they would be getting; a technically gifted one in three centre-forward with two Championship promotions on his CV in the last three seasons. In Fletcher, meanwhile, Leeds are pitching their hopes on potential and talent alone rather than proven second tier know-how.
Gary Monk has got very little wrong in the transfer market since taking over at Elland Road, but this next decision could well make or break Leeds’ chances of a long-awaited return to the big time.
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