Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe takes on his former club this weekend.
Leeds United forward Kemar Roofe has made a big impression for the Whites this season and the team are undefeated in matches he has played.
Roofe is Leeds’ top scorer and he is well on track to surpass his best total of 11 league goals for the Whites.
His form this season shows for sure that the £3 million gamble in 2016 made by Leeds to sign him from Oxford United was value for money.
It was a big call at the time to sign a player whose only experience of regular football was playing in League Two.
Prior to this Roofe had been in West Brom’s academy and sent out on loan five times.
His 18 league goals for Oxford caught the eye, and Leeds were brave to pay up.
Now the question heading into the transfer window is whether this is a repeatable transfer strategy, to sign a prolific goalscorer from two divisions below.
The time it has taken Roofe to hit his stride suggests any player coming in could struggle to make an immediate impact in Leeds’ promotion race.
That should not necessarily prevent Leeds from weighing up their options.
Brentford have subsequently had success by signing Ollie Watkins from League Two side Exeter City and he is proving to be an impressive Championship player.
League Two’s highest scorer who is 25 or younger is Exeter’s Jayden Stockley, a former Bournemouth forward who has nine goals so far this season.
Oldham loanee Sam Surridge is currently contracted to Premier League side Bournemouth and has six goals in seven games. He is worth keeping an eye on, but he is not available in January as he is on a season long deal.
It is tough to find difference makers in the lower leagues, but it is possible, and Leeds have shown with Roofe.
If the club plan to spend sensible amounts in Janaury rather than overpaying for targets, trying to find the next rough diamond is a strategy which should appeal to Andrea Radrizzani.
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