Why Leeds United should sign Southampton’s Che Adams on loan

According to the Football Insider (h/t the Nottingham Post), Leeds United have joined Nottingham Forest for the pursuit of Southampton’s Che Adams on loan.

A lot was expected of Che Adams, 23 when Southampton splashed out £15 million to sign him from in the summer transfer window after a brilliant 2018/19 campaign with Birmingham City.

He was one of the stars in the Championship last season where he scored 22 goals to help Birmingham City finish in a respectable finish.

However, after an underwhelming start, Adams has dropped down Ralph Hasenhuttl’s pecking order and his future looks to be a serious concern. Despite failing to break his duck for the Saints so far, Championship duo Leeds and Nottingham want the striker for the second half of the season.

Che Adams celebrates after scoring for Birmingham City. (Getty Images)

Leeds United, meanwhile, have been outstanding this season and are running clear, along with West Brom, in the race for automatic promotion.

The Whites are in the market for a striker amid doubts over whether Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah will still be at Elland Road for the second half of the season (h/t The Sun).

Nketiah has been predominantly used as a back-up to Patrick Bamford in the attack, limiting him to just 13 appearances in the league.

In that regard, signing Adams would be a step in the right direction. He is yet to find the back of the net for the Saints and the competition up front at Southampton is only likely to become more difficult in the coming months.

The 23-year-old’s goalscoring exploits in the Championship is the reason why Adams is on the radar of promotion chasers, Leeds.

Che Adams during his time at Birmingham City. (Getty Images)

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The ex-Sheffield United man is a powerful runner with the ball and can beat his marker in the final third.

He can also convert a lot of chances with his head which makes such a potent threat in the attacking third of the field. In the video below, one can get a glimpse of the 23-year-old’s style of play and the qualities he could bring to Elland Road.

Leeds can benefit from acquiring a striker of Adams’ qualities as he would bring a lot of goals to Elland Road.

Verdict

The Peacocks need a strong squad if they want to sustain their promotion chase in the second half of the campaign and it makes sense for Bielsa to bring in someone of Adams’ calibre next month.