Leeds United need a new experienced forward and the recent Nottingham Forest signing would have been ideal.
When Daryl Murphy moved to Nottingham Forest from Newcastle United, Leeds United fans are unlikely to have batted an eyelid. But with Chris Wood completing his switch to Burnley, one wonders if things might have played out differently had the New Zealand international moved on a few weeks earlier.
As reported by the Nottingham Post, Forest had to pay just £2million for Murphy, and when you consider the money now burning a hole in Leeds’ pocket, that would have hardly made a dent.
He may be 34 but Murphy knows where the goal is and he was one of the few proven Championship strikers available this summer.
The Republic of Ireland international’s time at Newcastle may not have gone according to plan, in part due to injury, however he still managed six goals in 18 matches for the Magpies and his 67 goals and 32 assists for Ipswich Town prove what he is capable of.
With three goals in four league matches for Forest, he appears to be making up for lost time, and he would have thrived ahead of the attacking midfielders now at Leeds’ disposal.
Leeds have the creative spark to excel this season, with Samu Saiz, Ezgjan Alioski and Caleb Ekuban already proving their worth. But what they no longer have is a proven Championship goal-scorer and it could be hard to find one in what remains of the transfer window.
Murphy would have been a fine, albeit short term, addition. The problem is he moved on before Leeds needed him and it is now up to Victor Orta and Thomas Christiansen to identify and sign the player that can ensure Wood is not missed.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, and there is no telling if Leeds would have signed Murphy even if he was still available. But given his record and his price tag, they would have been daft not to try.
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