A dream for Muniz: Leeds targeting "sensational" £22.5m star after Perri
da bwin： Leeds United were very much the entertainers in the Championship last season as they romped home to the title in style.
da pinup bet： In total, the free-flowing Whites would fire home an emphatic 95 strikes across the 46-game campaign, with Joel Piroe also winning the second-tier’s top goalscorer accolade when contributing to a sizeable 19 of that high amount.
Still, the newly promoted side will know the Premier League is a different kettle of fish altogether, resulting in some proven top-flight attackers now appearing on their ever-growing shopping list, as their goalscoring heroics in the EFL are pushed to the side.
Leeds consider move for new number ten
At one end of the pitch, Farke and co appear to have finally sealed a replacement for Illan Meslier, in the form of Lyon’s Lucas Perri, with the 27-year-old set to sign for a fee of around £13m from the Ligue 1 outfit.
At the other end, Leeds have already added Lucas Nmecha to their forward options, with the German attacker already helping himself to a pre-season goal for his brand new team.
But, with his sketchy injury record, it would be foolish to halt the striker additions there, as Rodrigo Muniz continues to be talked about as one of the Whites’ priorities up top in winning themselves a Premier League-ready performer.
Muniz does have a respectable 17 goals next to his name in the tough division for Fulham, but it remains to be seen what amount Farke and Co. would be willing to fork out to land the clinical Brazilian, with £50m coming in as his reported, eye-watering valuation.
Alongside securing a fresh striker, Leeds will also be on the hunt for an exciting number ten to complement the striker makeover, with Bilal El Khannouss an option they’re now considering in this department from recently relegated Leicester City.
Leeds-centric journalist Beren Cross has revealed that development amid interest in the Moroccan playmaker also coming from Sunderland and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
This level of interest in the £22.5m ace’s services might make it hard for Leeds to sneak a deal over the line, but if they want a promising attacking talent that could set up Muniz with even more chances, they should persist in trying to bring the up-and-coming youngster to West Yorkshire.
Why El Khannouss could be a dream for Muniz
Muniz’s 17 strikes for the Cottagers in total look like a reasonable amount of goals for a striker to have next to his name on first inspection.
However, that amount suddenly holds more weight when you consider eight of those strikes were hammered in Premier League action last season from just eight starts, with one of his Fulham teammates in Willian, even declaring him as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” off the back of this blistering form.
An extended run in the team under Daniel Farke could well help Muniz become even more potent, with the likes of Daniel James no doubt chomping at the bit to supply him with golden opportunities, alongside El Khannouss if he ditches the King Power Stadium for Elland Road.
Even as Leicester fell through the relegation trapdoor last season, El Khannouss still managed to stand out as a thorn in the side of many top-flight outfits, with his promising output of two goals and three assists only telling the basic, surface-level story of an impressive individual campaign.
El Khannouss’ league numbers (24/25)
Stat
El Khannouss
Games played
32
Goals scored
2
Assists
3
Touches per game
42.5
Accurate passes per game
42.5 (80%)
Key passes per game
1.3
Big chances created
8
Stats by Sofascore
Indeed, if the 21-year-old had the potency of Muniz next to him in the Midlands, his assist count would be sitting at a far heftier amount, with a steep eight big chances created by the “sensational” El Khannouss – as he was glowingly labelled by football analyst Ben Mattinson – when donning Foxes blue.
Four goals and 14 assists would also come the slick midfielder’s way when performing out of his skin for Genk before Leicester came calling, culminating in Miguel Ribeiro – who coached the Moroccan sensation in Belgium – further lauding the 21-year-old for possessing “eyes in his back” regarding his split-second ability to carve out an opening.
Both signings – as well as that of Perri – could be key, therefore, as Leeds attempt to play with confidence and swagger in the attacking areas in the Premier League, over receding into their shell as relegation candidates.
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