LEEDS 'IN POLE POSITION' TO SIGN JOSH SARGENT

Leeds United are interested in signing Norwich City striker Josh Sargent this summer, and are reportedly in a strong position to complete the deal.

Sargent enjoyed an excellent season in the Championship last year, netting 16 times in just 26 appearances for the Canaries, as they missed out on promotion to the Premier League. This impressive campaign has prompted interest from a number of clubs, including Leeds, who are looking to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season's expected promotion charge.

While the West Yorkshire club are yet to make a concrete offer for the United States international, Caught Offside report that they are in 'pole position' to land the player. The Whites see Sargent as the ideal candidate to replace the injury-ravaged Patrick Bamford, who started just 15 league games last season, scoring eight goals.

Leeds Interested in Sargent

The Championship club face competition from Premier League outfits

Sargent left the States to join Werder Bremen in 2017, and has since built a respectable career in Europe, earning him a consistent place in the US Men's national team. The striker played 81 times for the German club, scoring 15 goals, prior to his £8m move to Norwich in 2021.

A disappointing season in the Premier League with the Norfolk side in 2021/22 saw many write Sargent off, but he has since responded with back-to-back proflic seasons in England's second division. Now, a return to the Premier League is on the cards, with Wolves reportedly looking at the player back in March, while Brentford have been mooted as a potential destination for the centre-forward.

However, according to Caught Offside, Sargent could instead remain a Championship player for the upcoming season, with Leeds leading the chase to sign the Missouri-born man. Daniel Farke is keen to reunite with his former player, seeing him as an alternative to Bamford, who has consistently struggled with fitness issues.

Leeds will be desperate to respond to their 1-0 play-off final defeat to Southampton with promotion back to the top flight next season, and acquiring a proven goalscorer at Championship level, to compliment Joel Piroe, will be seen as key by Farke in order to achieve this goal.

Sargent - described as the "best striker" in the Championship by the Second Tier Podcast - is currently competing with the US at the Copa America, so any deal will likely be delayed until the States exit the tournament. Progression to the quarter-finals is currently in the balance, with Gregg Berhalter's men set to play Uruguay tonight in a pivotal encounter.

Leeds at Risk of Losing Key Players

Gray, Gnonto and Summerville have all been linked with moves away

While acquiring additional talent to add to their squad is on the agenda this summer, Leeds are also at risk of losing several of their best players. Narrowly missing out on promotion inevitably means Premier League clubs will look to poach the club's most prized assets, and convincing them to stay is Farke's biggest challenge in the coming months.

Tottenham are set to sign Archie Gray, who made over 50 appearances last season for the Whites, in multiple positions. Meanwhile, Napoli are 'internally discussing' the prospect of moving for Wilfried Gnonto, and Brighton have opened talks over a move for Crysencio Summerville.

All Statistics via FBRef - as of 01/07/2024

2024-07-02T03:32:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd