Leeds United could be in the market for further reinforcements in the attacking areas of the pitch before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.
Lukas Nmecha, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg, is the only attacker to have joined the squad so far, and the Whites are set to miss out on a deal for Feyenoord winger Igor Paixao.
Their pursuit of the Brazilian dynamo suggests that they are in the market to sign a new left winger, after Manor Solomon returned to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.
The Whites are also looking for a new centre-forward to lead their line in the Premier League, as Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the club have doubts over Joel Piroe’s ability to make the step up.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Leeds are looking to cash in on wantaway forward Mateo Joseph in order to fund a new bid to sign Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz.
What Rodrigo Muniz could bring to Leeds
The Brazilian striker could bring a proven presence at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League, as he has been there and done it in the division with Fulham.
Muniz has showcased his ability to find the back of the net efficiently in the league in the last two seasons, outperforming his xG in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns for the Cottagers.
Appearances
26
31
Starts
18
8
xG
8.72
5.81
Goals
9
8
Minutes per goal
179
121
Big chances created
2
1
Assists
1
1
Duel success rate
39%
52%
As you can see in the table above, the striker has not yet hit double figures for goals in a Premier League season, but he has rarely been a starter for his side.
The 24-year-old star would not need any time to adapt to the league or the country, as he is a proven quantity, and that could appeal to Leeds in their search for a new number nine.
However, Muniz has never scored more than nine goals in a single league season in his career, and there may be doubts over his ability to deliver consistently over the course of an entire campaign.
That may be why the Championship champions are now reportedly looking at an alternative centre-forward option, who could be even better than the Fulham marksman if they can get a deal over the line.
Leeds eyeing move for Serie A forward
According to RomaPress, Leeds United are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Roma number nine Artem Dovbyk this summer.
The report claims that the Whites and fellow Premier League side West Ham United are both lining up moves to sign the Ukraine international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
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It adds that Roma are looking for a fee within the region of £30m in order to part ways with the left-footed centre-forward, although it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to spend that much on him.
RomaPress also note that fellow Italian outlet Leggo have reported that Turkish giants Besiktas have made contact with Roma to discuss a potential deal for Dovbyk.
It is now down to the 49ers and Daniel Farke to push to beat the likes of Besiktas and West Ham to his signature this summer, because he would be an even better signing than Muniz.
Why Leeds should sign Artem Dovbyk
The 28-year-old attacker is a striker who has the potential to deliver goals at an impressive rate in the Premier League, as a star who has proven his quality in multiple top European leagues.
Dovbyk, who was described as “dominant” in the air by analyst Ben Mattinson, has impressed in both LaLiga and the Serie A since he moved away from Ukraine in the summer of 2023, after scoring 38 goals in 47 games in his last two seasons in the Premier Liga.
The £30m-rated star has hit double figures for goals five times at league level throughout his career, including in each of the last four seasons, whilst Muniz is yet to do it once.
Dovbyk has also scored 24 goals in a league season twice in his career, once in Ukraine and once in Spain, which suggests that he has the potential to be an incredibly prolific figure in front of goal for Leeds if he can adapt to English football.
Appearances
36
32
Starts
32
27
xG
24.29
12.25
Goals
24
12
Minutes per goal
109
203
Big chances created
10
5
Assists
8
2
As you can see in the table above, the Ukraine international has scored 36 goals in Europe’s top five leagues in the last two seasons, whilst Muniz scored 17 goals for Fulham in the Premier League in that time.
Muniz also managed just three ‘big chances’ created and two assists in the league in that time, which suggests that Dovbyk is also more likely to provide a big threat as a creator, based on his 15 ‘big chances’ created in the last two campaigns.
These statistics suggest that the Roma star has the potential to offer far more to the team than the Fulham centre-forward, as he has delivered more as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the last couple of years.
It would be a bit more of a gamble for Leeds to take, as he has yet to prove himself in the Premier League, but they can be assured by the fact that he has scored goals at an impressive rate in the Spanish and Italian top-flights already.
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Therefore, if it gets to a point where the club have to decide between pursuing Muniz or Dovbyk, they should look to swoop for the Ukraine international to lead the line for Farke next season.