Tottenham Hotspur striker Reo Griffiths is out of contract this summer, so should Leeds United try their luck?
With Leeds faltering dramatically in recent months, Paul Heckingbottom would be forgiven for wanting to overhaul the majority of the squad that he was handed when he took over from Thomas Christiansen at Elland Road.
Up front is a particular position where dramatic changes could be required with Pierre-Michel Lasogga only on loan, and Caleb Ekuban and Jay-Roy Grot proving that they are both still some way off being good enough to be relied upon by a Championship club. And with Kemar Roofe arguably the epitome of a hot and cold player, Heckingbottom’s wishlist should have a new striker right at the top.
His options will be boosted by Marcus Antonsson’s return from Blackburn, while Sam Dalby and Ryan Edmondson are knocking on the door with their form for the under-23s and under-18s respectively. He also has the eventual return of Tyler Roberts to look forward to.
But perhaps Roberts should give the Leeds hierarchy the inspiration to go out and make an ambitious move to sign another forward from a Premier League side in the summer.
Reo Griffiths seems to be catching the headlines on a weekly basis with his performances for Tottenham’s youth teams. He has scored 33 goals in all competitions this term and Spurs are understandably desperate to keep him. Nevertheless, the 17-year-old’s contract expires this summer and the Daily Mirror reports that several clubs are interested, such as Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
If Leeds join the race, they will surely not be able to make the most financially-lucrative bid by any means, but they could offer something that any European heavyweight – perhaps including Spurs – may not be able to right now: an immediate path to the first-team.
Griffiths is proving to be a lethal goalscorer – he scored four during Spurs’ U18 side’s 9-0 win over Arsenal this week, as well as providing three assists in the game – and that trait tends to shine through no matter what level a player is plying their trade at.
Heckingbottom has shown little fear when it comes to throwing young players in so if he offers assurances to the starlet that the pathway is there, he can point to the likes of Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Paudie O’Connor and Tom Pearce as proof that Griffiths’ path to the Leeds first-team could be a lot shorter than if he heads elsewhere.
The Daily Mail reported when Leeds signed Roberts for £4 million that West Brom wanted to keep the youngster before his exit. That deal should give the Whites the confidence that if they make a move for Griffiths, perhaps there is the slightest chance that the lure of senior football could make an offer a lot more appealing than those bids that will undoubtedly be much more tempting on paper.
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