Why Norwich City should beat Leeds to sign Macauley Bonne

According to a report by Yorkshire Evening Post, Championship sides Leeds United, Norwich City, Derby County and Nottingham Forest are all interested in signing Macauley Bonne. The 23-year-old has been prolific since joining Leyton Orient from Colchester United in the summer of 2017. Last season, Bonne hit 22 goals and provided five assists in 44 league games.

This season, he has picked from where he left off in May. Bonne has already scored 16 goals and recorded four assists in just 22 league games. It is this hot streak that has seen the second division’s quartet lining up for Bonne’s signature.

The Zimbabwe international is fresh from signing a new two-year contract in August. This will provide Leyton Orient with an added advantage in any sale negotiations. With Orient topping the National League table, they’ll surely be unwilling to sell their prized asset with a return to the League Two firmly in their sights.

However, a decent bid might be all that is needed to turn Leyton Orient’s heads. Here, we look at which of the two promotion-chasing Championship sides, Leeds United or Norwich City, should sign Bonne.

Norwich are placed at the top of the Championship table after getting 40 points in 20 games. Leeds United are hot on their heels with 39 points so far. Both clubs have scored 30-plus goals past their opponents and are in the automatic qualification spots heading into December.

Leeds have previously signed a striker from Leyton Orient, procuring Sam Dalby at the start of this year. Now, Bonne has previously spent time at Norwich at the U15 level back in 2009. Bonne had a short stint at Carrow Road before signing for Colchester United.

Both Leeds and Norwich require attacking reinforcements to maintain their impressive performances. Any club that signs the 5ft 11in forward will massively boost their promotion chances. Although Leeds play fluid, offensive and possession-based football, a return to Carrow Road looks like the best decision for the striker.

Summer signing Teemu Pukki has been the man for the Canaries, keeping Norwich’s goalscoring wheels rolling. Signing Bonne to offer competition and cover from the bench for the Finnish international would be a masterstroke for Daniel Farke’s side.

With the Canaries expected to offload outcast Nelson Oliveira in January (h/t Birmingham Mail), Bonne could be tasked with easing the goalscoring burdens off Pukki.

The Ipswich-born frontman is likely to settle in more quickly at Norwich, given that he has already spent time there. Macauley Bonne clearly has a decision to make – either stay put at Orient and eye a return to the League Two or move to Norwich City and have a shot at featuring in the Premier League.

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And at this point, the joining the Canaries should be a no-brainer for the youngster.