A Chris Wood repeat: Euro club in talks to sign “dynamite” £13m Leeds star..
There could be plenty of change at the top end of the pitch for Leeds United ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, after they made their first signing of the summer on Sunday.
The Whites officially confirmed the signing of Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, with his contract at the Bundesliga side due to expire at the end of the month.
He is a centre-forward by trade, playing 193 career matches in that position, but the German attacker has also played on both the left and right flanks in his club career, which means that he could provide useful versatility across the frontline for Daniel Farke next season.
Season
Games missed through injury
Appearances (all comps)
Goals
24/25 (Wolfsburg)
8
20
3
23/24 (Wolfsburg)
39
4
2
22/23 (Wolfsburg)
17
18
4
21/22 (Wolfsburg)
9
31
10
20/21 (Anderlecht)
0
37
18
19/20 (Wolfsburg + Middlesbrough)
4
25
0
18/19 (Preston North End)
0
41
4
As you can see in the table above, though, Nmecha looks set to be a risky signing for Leeds because he has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and has failed to deliver goals on a regular basis since the 2021/22 campaign, which included two goals in five Champions League outings.
The 26-year-old star, who was described as a “complete” striker by Vincent Kompany during his time at Anderlecht, could be a quality option for Farke if he can regain the form that he displayed in front of goal in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
wolfsburg-lukas-nmecha-leeds-transfer
With Nmecha’s arrival, and the news that they are after another number nine, Leeds may have to part ways with some of the strikers already at the club, and avoid a Chris Wood repeat.
How Leeds fumbled Chris Wood
The New Zealand international enjoyed a prolific spell at Elland Road between 2015 and 2017 after his move from Leicester ahead of the 2015/16 campaign.
Chris Wood Leeds record (timeless)
As you can see in the graphic above, Wood, who joined the club at the age of 23, averaged a goal every other game for the Championship side, but he never got the chance to play in the Premier League because of his £15m move to Burnley in 2017.
The Kiwi marksman left before the Marcelo Bielsa revolution in West Yorkshire, and has gone on to prove himself to be a very impressive goalscorer in the top-flight.
Wood, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest in the 2024/25 season, has racked up 89 goals in 263 top-flight games in his career for Burnley, Newcastle United, and Forest combined.
This shows that Leeds fumbled a brilliant Premier League striker option because they cashed in on him before he got the chance to his his peak at Elland Road, and they could be about to repeat a similar blunder with Mateo Joseph.
The latest on Mateo Joseph’s future
Earlier this month, journalist Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News that Real Betis had agreed a fee worth up to £8.5m to sign the Spain U21 international this summer.
However, Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, as relayed by Sport Witness, then rubbished that claim and reported that a deal between the two clubs is nowhere near complete.
Mateo-Joseph-Leeds
In fact, Estadio Deportivo stated that there was a big gap between what the LaLiga outfit would be willing to pay for Joseph and what the Championship champions want for their back-up forward.
Now, Sunday’s edition of ABC Sevilla, as relayed by Sport Witness, reports that Real Betis are currently in talks with the striker and his representatives over the possibility of a move to the club.
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