Why Leeds United should plot a January swoop for Aleksandar Mitrovic

In an interview with Football Insider (h/t The Yorkshire Evening Post), Noel Whelan has suggested Leeds United to go all out to sign Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in the January transfer window.

It’s safe to say that Leeds United have made a relatively strong start to their league campaign under Marcelo Bielsa this season, with the Whites currently sitting third in the Championship table.

A number of the current crop of players who Marcelo Bielsa has at his disposal have stepped up to the plate when called upon, and it appears as though Leeds are going to be one of the favourites to win promotion to the Premier League this term.

But Whelan claims the Whites are still lacking a centre-forward who can threaten defences week in and week out and score goals prolifically. And the former Derby County academy coach wants the Whites to make a January swoop for Aleksandar Mitrovic. That being said, should Bielsa go for the Fulham star?

Aleksandar Mitrovic, 24, has had a rollercoaster ride since arriving at Fulham. From the massive high of helping the Cottagers win promotion via the play-offs last year to the low of crashing back to the Championship, he has seen it all. But the Serbian decided to stay put at the club.

The 24-year-old has been a prolific goalscorer for Fulham since joining from Newcastle in January last year, scoring 35 goals in 75 matches for the club. He is the top scorer in the Championship this season with 12 goals in 16 games, seven goals more than Leeds’ top-scorer Patrick Bamford.

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There’s no doubting Mitrovic’s quality when it comes to scoring goals in the Championship. The Serbian international is a real handful for the defenders and would give Leeds’ attack the ‘X-factor’.

Undoubtedly, he is better than all the striking options Bielsa currently has in the squad and having hit top-form for Fulham this season, there’s no reason why he cannot play a major role in the Whites’ push for promotion.

Verdict

Bielsa’s side ran out of steam towards the back end of last season, so having strength in depth will undoubtedly be key if Leeds are to continue challenging at the top end of the table. Last campaign, the Whites failed to win any of their final four league games and then lost in the playoffs against Derby too.

Thus, it’s important to bolster the forward line and Bielsa should go all out for Mitrovic in January. If a deal goes through, it’ll be a massive boost to Leeds’ promotion hopes.