Why Leeds United should eye a cut-price swoop for Josh King in January
Back in August, a report from the Daily Express (h/t Leeds Live) had mentioned Leeds United among the potential suitors for Bournemouth striker Josh King. West Ham and Everton were also understood to be in the race to sign the Norwegian international. But no move materialised during the summer window, with the Cherries holding out for £30million to part ways with their asset.
Profile
Josh King started his footballing education with Romsas and Valerenga in Norway before completing his development at Manchester United. However, he struggled to make the grade at Old Trafford, featuring only twice for the first-team while spending time on loan at Preston, Borussia Monchengladbach, Hull City and Blackburn Rovers.
The 28-year-old eventually completed a permanent move to Blackburn in January 2013, putting an end to his ill-fated spell at United. King, though, failed to make a big impression in the Championship, scoring only 8 goals in 72 appearances for the Lancashire club in all competitions over two seasons.
That, however, was enough to earn him a return to the Premier League with newly-promoted Bournemouth in 2015. King grabbed his opportunity with both hands and eventually went on to establish himself as a quality striker in the English top-flight. He registered an impressive tally of 48 goals and 15 assists in 161 appearances for the Cherries over five full campaigns.
King would add more variety to the Leeds attack
Leeds forked out a club-record £26m fee on Rodrigo Moreno to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s attack following the Whites’ promotion to the Premier League. The Spaniard, however, has largely been utilised in an attacking midfield role so far, with Patrick Bamford retained as the undisputed No.9 to spearhead the attack.
Bamford’s credentials as the club’s first-choice striker had been called into question numerous times over the past two seasons in the Championship. But the former Chelsea man has silenced his critics with a seamless transition to the Premier League this term, finding the net 7 times in 9 league fixtures so far.
He has, in fact, contributed to 50% of the club’s total goals scored in the PL, which pretty much sums up his stunning start to the campaign.
However, with Bielsa utilising Rodrigo in a withdrawn role, Leeds should definitely consider adding another striker to their ranks when the market reopens in January. And making a renewed attempt to sign Josh King from Bournemouth would surely make a lot of sense in footballing terms.
The 28-year-old ticks the box as an attacker with proven pedigree in the Premier League while his versatility should be another attractive factor for Leeds.
King might not essentially be an out-and-out centre-forward by trade but offers a lot with his tireless work rate as a supporting striker and also in a wide attacking role. Those qualities should make him an excellent fit for Bielsa’s system at Elland Road.
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- Why Leeds should sign Brighton star Ben White in January
- Why Leeds United signing Jose Campana would bolster their midfield
Verdict
The Norwegian international will have less than six months remaining on his current contract at Bournemouth when the transfer window reopens in January.
That should leave the door open for Leeds to snap him up on for a knockdown price during the mid-season trading period. King knows what it takes to deliver the goods at the highest level and would, therefore, fit the bill as an immediate game-changer in the Whites’ attack.
