Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke did not get his wish for more quality at the top end of the pitch in the final few days of the summer transfer window.
The former Norwich City tactician made it clear, after the 0-0 draw with Newcastle United in the Premier League, that his team needed reinforcements up front.
Farke said: “In defence and midfield, goalkeeper position and full-back position, we’ve done really good business. But we spoke quite open and honest about it, we would need to add some more quality up front.”
The board were unable to get any deals over the line after those comments from the German boss, although they did try to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day before Fulham pulled the plug at the last minute.
In the end, Leeds added three attacking players to their squad during the summer transfer window: Lukas Nmecha, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Noah Okafor.
The Switzerland international, Okafor, was the only player they paid a fee for, as strikers Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin both arrived as free agents.
Why Leeds United signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin
It is easy to understand why the former England international was an attractive target for the club when they sat down and discussed who they wanted to target in the transfer market.
Calvert-Lewin left Everton at the end of June after his contract with the Premier League side expired, which meant that he was available on a free transfer and Leeds did not have to shell out millions on a transfer fee.
The 28-year-old marksman also had 249 appearances in the Premier League under his belt, per Transfermarkt, during his time with the Toffees, scoring 57 goals and providing 18 assists.
On paper, Calvert-Lewin’s availability and experience made him a very attractive target for a team that had just been promoted to the top-flight from the Championship.
However, the English forward was also available on a free transfer for a reason. His injury record in recent seasons with Everton did not make for great reading.
24/25
2
15
23/24
3
6
22/23
4
29
21/22
2
33
As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has not been a reliable player over the last four years because he has suffered too many injuries, and missed too many matches.
On top of that, the former Sheffield United striker has underperformed his xG by 25.20 goals (57 goals from 82.20 xG) across his Premier League career, per UnderStat, which shows that the Leeds attacker is a wasteful finisher in front of goal.
Leeds supporters have already had a glimpse of his underwhelming finishing skills. Calvert-Lewin missed four ‘big chances’ in 32 minutes off the bench against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup, before firing his penalty over the bar in the shootout, per Sofascore.
The concerns over the ex-Everton marksman’s injury record and goal return may explain why the club are now being linked with another centre-forward ahead of the next window.
Leeds preparing January offer for Premier League striker
According to CaughtOffside, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs already eyeing up a potential swoop for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites are keen on a deal to sign the French centre-forward and that they are preparing to make a formal offer for his services at the start of next year.
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It states that Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also in the race to sign the former Mainz number nine. All three clubs are said to have made Mateta a priority target heading into the next transfer window.
CaughtOffside adds that Crystal Palace are ready to demand a fee of around £40m for their star striker should any of those three teams attempt to snap him up in January.
It now remains to be seen whether or not any of the interested teams are willing to offer as much as £40m, but it the report does claim that Leeds are ‘determined’ to improve their attack with respect to their pursuit of the striker.
Why Leeds should sign Jean-Philippe Mateta
The Whites should pay the £40m that it could take to prise Mateta away from Selhurst Park in the January transfer window because he could come in as an instant replacement for Calvert-Lewin, just five months on from his arrival at the club.
As aforementioned, the concern with the former Everton man is that he will not deliver enough quality in front of goal, due to his injury record and his underwhelming finishing in the Premier League over the years.
Leeds may get to January and realise that they need a prolific centre-forward to lead them to safety in the top-flight, and Mateta could be just the man for the task.
The French attacker is a proven Premier League striker whose form in recent seasons suggests that he would arrive in West Yorkshire as a huge upgrade on Calvert-Lewin for Farke.
Mateta scored 16 goals from 10.94 xG in the top-flight in the 2023/24 campaign, per Sofascore, whilst Calvert-Lewin scored seven goals from 12.93 xG for Everton that term.
Appearances
37
26
xG
13.53
6.75
Shots on target per game
0.9
0.8
Goals
14
3
Big chances created
7
1
Assists
2
1
As you can see in the table above, the Eagles frontman also outperformed the current Leeds striker in front of goal last season, scoring 11 more goals and outperforming his xG once again.
The Palace star, who was described as a “threat” by podcaster HLTCO, is a proven and clinical goalscorer who knows how to find the back of the net on a consistent basis in the division, something Calvert-Lewin has not shown in recent seasons.
Mateta has also only missed four Premier League games through injury in the last two seasons, per Transfermarkt, and could be far more reliable for Farke week-in-week-out.
Therefore, signing the £40m-rated striker in January could be a huge move by the club to improve the team and immediately replace Calvert-Lewin in the number nine position, given that the Frenchman appears to have far more to offer to the side.
