One of Kemar Roofe’s standout performances for Leeds United last season was his injury-time winner at Aston Villa, but he is now being linked with a move away from Elland Road.
Leeds United’s Kemar Roofe is reportedly attracting interest from Scottish Premiership side Rangers, but who could replace him if he were to leave Elland Road this summer?
Here we take a look at three players who could potentially fill Roofe’s shoes: From an Aston Villa trickster to a Newcastle United player who has mastered the second tier.
Simply put, Leeds wouldn’t want to lose one of their key players, but if they did, then they would need to find a near-perfect replacement as possible.
Roofe produced his best season at Elland Road last season as Marcelo Bielsa’s side missed out on promotion to the Premier League, but Rangers are now keen on his services if Alfredo Morelos leaves the Glasgow club, according to the Scottish Sun.
Here are the three suggested players that could replace Roofe is he were to depart up north:
Jonathan Kodjia – The versatile attacker hasn’t played in his natural forward role for some time now, with Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham keeping him out of that spot last season and injury running his season before that.
But when he did play in that forward role on a consistent basis, he struck 19 goals in a season for Villa, who just like Leeds, play under enormous pressure. During his time in the Championship, Kodjia has netted 47 goals [transfermarkt], as the Villa trickster has the experience and qualities to succeed at Elland Road.
Lyle Taylor – Another experienced player, but this time one that helped Charlton earn promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs last season. Taylor struck 25 goals for Lee Bowyer’s attack-minded team [transfermarkt].
And just like Kodjia, he understands what it takes to play in a highly demanding, forward-thinking and possession-based system, so it’s not like he’d be stepping into the complete unknown. Out of Kodjia and Taylor, the former is the better option because he has more pedigree in the second tier.
Dwight Gayle – the Newcastle man would perhaps be the most popular choice for Leeds’ supporters and he is a player that could be the difference in them earning promotion. It could even be argued that Gayle is a much better player than Roofe.
Gayle is another prolific goalscorer when it comes to Championship football and he is a player that can adapt quickly, which is key to a Bielsa system. His 59 goals in 100 Championship game is very healthy [transfermarkt], and a player that Leeds fans would want even if Roofe were to stay.
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