Leeds United made the perfect start to life back in the Premier League on Monday night with a 1-0 win over Everton under the lights at Elland Road.
Lukas Nmecha, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg this summer, came off the bench to score the winning goal from the penalty spot on his debut for the Whites.
Daniel Farke went with Joel Piroe, who scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, as the main number nine from the start against the Toffees, but the Dutchman did not enjoy much success.
The former Swansea player showed some nice touches at times when he dropped deep to get involved, but his lack of mobility and physicality were issues against James Tarkowski and Michael Keane.
Piroe lost all three of his ground duels and lost four of his five aerial battles in the match, per Sofascore, which speaks to his lack of quality in physical tussles.
It will now be interesting to see what happens with the number nine position in the weeks to come, especially after Nmecha made a fast start to life in West Yorkshire.
What Lukas Nmecha's role could be this season for Leeds
The former Germany international was an interesting signing when he arrived from Wolfsburg earlier this summer, because he has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.
Nmecha has not scored more than four goals in a single season since the 2021/22 campaign, per Sofascore, and only managed three goals in 20 appearances last season for Wolfsburg.
Injury issues played a significant role in that, as the 26-year-old striker has missed 64 games due to injury over the last three years, according to Transfermarkt, which impacted his ability to deliver consistently on the pitch.
The former Manchester City academy graduate’s performances in the Bundesliga when he was fit and available in the 2024/25 campaign also left plenty to be desired.
Nmecha struggled in front of goal, as a finisher and a creator, and did not produce performances that made a move to the Premier League seem very likely for this summer.
Appearances
19
Starts
3
xG
4.54
Goals
3
Big chances missed
5
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the German forward underperformed against his xG, missed five ‘big chances’, and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates in his 19 appearances in the division.
Despite his underwhelming goalscoring form and persistent injury issues, Farke opted to take a gamble on him this summer, and it is one that is already starting to pay off after his debut goal.
However, Nmecha’s time with Wolfsburg in recent seasons suggests that the role he played against Everton is most likely to be his main one at Elland Road – coming off the bench to make an impact when needed.
Leeds in the mix to sign new striker
The Championship champions are reportedly interested in adding another striker to their squad, despite having Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha, and Piroe.
Transfer Focus
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According to El Chiringuito TV, Leeds United are one of the sides that are competing to sign Villarreal centre-forward Karl Etta Eyong before the end of the summer transfer window.
Supporters may recognise his name because the 21-year-old marksman scored against the Whites in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road earlier this month, nodding in from a couple of yards out in the 62nd minute.
This latest report claims that Leeds, Rangers, and Levante are all in the race to sign the Cameroonian forward, who currently wants to stay at Villarreal.
It adds that the Spanish side have already rejected a loan offer from Championship outfit Swansea, but it is unclear as to whether Farke’s team are keen on a loan or permanent deal for the striker.
Why Leeds should sign Etta Eyong
Leeds should push to convince Etta Eyong to want to move on from Villarreal this summer because he could arrive at Elland Road as a very interesting addition to the squad.
As aforementioned, Piroe may not have the physicality, as backed up by his performance against Everton, to be very effective in the Premier League, and there are still a lot of question marks over Nmecha.
Etta Eyong could come in as a striker who is an even better option than Nmecha to start games in the top-flight for Leeds, to provide serious competition for Calvert-Lewin as the main number nine for Farke.
The 21-year-old attacker, who was described as a “powerful” star by analyst Kai Watson, does not have heaps of senior experience under his belt, but he has shown plenty of promise in his short career to date.
Etta Eyong earned his place in the first-team at Villarreal towards the end of last season and scored three goals in seven games in pre-season, including goals against Arsenal and Leeds, per Sofascore.
Appearances
5
Starts
1
Minutes
136
xG
0.74
Goals
2
Duels won
5
Pass accuracy
80%
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent has shown plenty of promise in the very limited minutes he has been given in LaLiga, scoring two goals from 0.74 xG in just 136 minutes of football.
Prior to his emergence in the first-team with Villarreal, Etta Eyong also scored 18 goals in 30 matches for the B team in the third tier of Spanish football, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Unlike Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha, the promising talent also has a clean injury record, with no notable injuries in his career, per Transfermarkt, which suggests that he is more likely to be available week-in-week-out.
This could make him a more valuable centre-forward option than Nmecha for Farke, purely because of his potential to be available for more matches in the Premier League.
Putting all of this together, Etta Eyong could be even better than Nmecha for Leeds because of his fitness record and his potential as a goalscorer, having caught the eye in a major European league after delivering prolific performances for Villarreal’s B team.