Must sign: Leeds United need to be on high-alert with “terrific” 21-y/o goalscorer up for sale

Leeds United are in need of a striker this summer, and should be alerted to the availability of Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer.

The Whites have plenty of work to do in the transfer market to consider themselves ready for the rest of the season, with outgoings the main talking point thus far.

Tyler Adams leaving for £20million to Chelsea and Willy Gnonto trying to force an exit means Leeds will have a lot more money to play with shortly for Daniel Farke.

It’s perhaps easier to name the positions where Farke doesn’t need recruitments thus far, pretty much solely in goal where his side looks adequately covered as things stand.

In attack, the German inherited a number of talented attackers, but with no focal point to start the season as Patrick Bamford yet again nurses injury while he’s joined by Georginio Rutter and Mateo Joseph on the sidelines.

Links to strikers haven’t exactly been in short supply, given the obviousness of Leeds’ need for a new signing at the top end of the pitch.

In terms of strikers that Leeds could be looking at, the obvious names stand out from those that have shone in the Championship recently – namely Joel Piroe of Swansea City.

However, Middlesbrough enjoyed the brilliant, ruthless finishing of Cameron Archer last season under Michale Carrick, as he spent the second half of the season on loan from Aston Villa.

The 21-year-old has now been made available for sale by the Villans as they plan for their European journey, meaning permanent offers will be listened to – per David Ornstein.

The young striker has now enjoyed two very strong loan stints in the Championship and is in need of a permanent home with Villa seemingly not keen to give him that chance, and Leeds need to be at the front of the queue with a handsome offer.

Two goals and an assist in the Under-21 European Championships for England capped off a stunning season for Archer, after helping fire Boro to a top-six finish with 11 goals and six assists in just 22 appearances.

A clinical finisher in the box, Archer was a huge reason for Middlesbrough’s promotion charge last season as they looked to push the top two later in the campaign, and Carrick praised the striker heavily after a brace away at Sheffield United (via the Northern Echo):

“Credit to him, he’s a terrific lad who’s settled really quickly and loves it here. He’s a big part of the group and I thought his performance in terms of his movement and finishing was excellent.

“He’s smart and he’s clever. His link-up play and all-round game, for being a little bit smaller, he uses his body really well. All round it was a really good performance and getting his goals is obviously a massive lift for him.”

How much he’s available for remains to be seen but the Villans seem happy to cash in amid interest from a “number of suitors”.