Why Brighton Should Part Ways With This 30-year Old As Leeds United Circle Around To Sign Him

Why Brighton Should Part Ways With 30-Year Old Striker Tomer Hemed

Leeds United have been searching for an able striker ever since they sold Chris Wood to Burnley, and while several options have already been discussed, it is claimed that they are quite interested in Tomer Hemed, who currently plays as a striker for Brighton.

Hemed is in the final year of his contract at Brighton and has already attracted attention from some Championship clubs with Leeds are believed to be the front-runners. While Brighton have been reluctant to lose the Israeli, their stance could change once the January window rolls up.

Tomer Hemed has been quite influential for Brighton this season. In fact, Hemed is the calibre of player the Whites should be targeting as Wood’s replacement. Much like the New Zealander, he is strong, has good awareness in the box and scores goals equally well with head and foot. Having only turned 30 in May, there are perhaps a few seasons left in him yet.

The striker has hit double figures in each of his two full seasons in English football and helped Chris Hughton’s side gain promotion to the Premier League last term. However, there were reports recently which suggested that they could be interested in Newcastle United’s Aleksandar Mitrovic – a striker with a less than enviable disciplinary record.

If the former Anderlecht talisman does arrive at Brighton in January, one does wonder what this could mean for Hemed. Much like Mitrovic, the Israeli international is tall, physical and is renowned for his ability to lead the line with strong aggression. There is no doubt that Hemed would struggle for game time, so a move to Leeds may not seem like a bad option for the striker.

Getting Brighton to sell is perhaps the main issue for Leeds. Pierre-Michel Lasogga continues to struggle in his search for consistency at Elland Road, and Hemed could perhaps be the solution to these woes. Hemed has impressed in the Premier League so far, scoring twice against West Brom and Newcastle, as well as laying on an assist for Chris Hughton’s side during his six league outings.

Even though the striker’s contract is set to expire in the summer, there seems to be little movement in offering Hemed an extension to stay at the Amex Stadium. That could see Brighton looking to cash in on him in January, in order to avoid losing him for free in the summer. Thus, with Brighton’s interest in Mitrovic, it could be time for Hemed to seek out alternatives but it remains to be seen if he would be willing to make a drop to the Championship.