The former Leeds United manager had plans to bring the Bristol City pair to Elland Road before he was sacked.
Former Leeds United manager Steve Evans has told the Football League Paper that was planning to launch bids for Championship hotshot Tammy Abraham and his Bristol City teammate Lee Tomlin this summer.
Evans was sacked by controversial Whites owner Massimo Cellino at the end of last season and replaced with Garry Monk despite losing just one of his final six games in charge.
Part of Leeds’ problem last term was a lack of goals. Only Chris Wood reached double figures in all competitions, and the New Zealander missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
In fact, only two players – Wood and since-departed forward Mirco Antenucci, managed more than five goals last campaign, and only six teams scored fewer goals than the Yorkshire side.
Evans has now confirmed that he had plans in the works to find a solution to that problem by revealing that Bristol City pair Abraham and Tomlin were on his shortlist for the summer transfer window.
Evans told the Football League Paper: “Talking of strikers, Bristol City’s Tammy Abraham is flying. Had I remained at Leeds United, he was very much on my radar, as was the very talented Lee Tomlin, who joined City permanently in the summer.”
That is likely to spark thoughts of what could have been amongst Leeds fans. Abraham has been one of the revelations of the season so far, the on-loan Chelsea striker scoring 11 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Robins, eight of which have come in 13 league games.
Tomlin has also impressed, contributing two goals and two assists from attacking midfield, and the pair would be a considerable boost to the firepower of any second-tier club.
Instead, Wood’s seven goals (five in the league) is the highest total from any Whites player, with none of his teammates having found the net more than twice.
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