Nobody is really quite sure how Leeds United will handle a second successive season in the Championship, especially with so many key first-team individuals not having their futures set in stone.
Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville just to name a few could all be off this approaching summer transfer window, with Daniel Farke having to pick the pieces up and go again, no matter what his squad looks like, to try and spearhead another promotion push from the dug-out.
The play-off final losers could opt to shop back in the Bundesliga to bring in new and fresh exciting talents to ease the potential mass exodus from West Yorkshire, with one target potentially an upgrade on Gnonto if the Italian attacker ends up relocating.
Leeds looking at £8m forward
According to German football website BILD, Leeds are interested in the services of Stuttgart winger Silas Katompa Mvumpa, who has been crucial to his side's fortunes for a number of seasons now.
The 25-year-old attacker would help himself to 13 goal contributions from just 30 games this season, alerting the likes of Villarreal, Fulham, AJ Auxerre and RC Lens who are also now interested parties alongside Farke's men.
Scoring a wonderful solo strike on the final day of the Bundesliga campaign could act as the perfect parting gift, but Leeds will know it won't be easy tempting the Congolese forward to play in England's second tier, especially with a hefty £8m price-tag placed above his head.
Why Silas would be the perfect Gnonto upgrade
If Leeds mean business next season and want a daring replacement for Gnonto, Silas could be the exact attacker they need to take the Championship by storm.
Farke's men are also well aware that they've managed to strike gold purchasing from Germany in the past, with Georginio Rutter a revelation in the second-tier last season, after initially struggling to justify his excessive £35.5m fee joining from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Indeed, the forward supplied a whopping 18 assists and scored eight times.
Gnonto only managed to better Silas' numbers by two goals for Leeds during their failed promotion attempt, despite playing 14 more times across the full campaign.
With Daniel James also bettering Gnonto's numbers in the fight for a starting spot down the right wing, with 20 goal contributions in total to the 20-year-old's lesser 12, a new competition could form between James and the standout Stuttgart man if a move is clinched.
Non-penalty goals
0.44
0.50
Shots total
2.56
2.30
Shot-creating actions
3.54
4.20
Progressive passes
4.25
2.50
Progressive carries
4.79
4.90
Successful take-ons
1.52
3.80
Touches in attacking penalty area
5.17
6.70
Progressive passes received
11.32
13.00
Stats by FBRef
Bettering Gnonto further in many of their respective attacking statistics over the last year, Silas would offer Leeds another full-throttle option going forward that could terrorise Championship defences, with the Congolese forward once described as being a "wild" player to watch by Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness.
Silas has also played his part in his now Bundesliga employers winning promotion before, which would stand him in good stead for the challenge of lifting Leeds back up to the Premier League, with his impressive total of seven goals and eight assists from 29 games during the 2019/20 season enough for his side to instantly return to the top German division.
Lining up alongside Rutter, history could repeat itself and the 25-year-old coming in from Stuttgart could be as dazzling to watch as the dynamic Frenchman.
Silas will hope he can be the fresh new buy who can accelerate another promotion push, therefore, as Leeds hunt for new heroes in the market.
Leeds lining up swoop for bargain PL player to replace Gnonto
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ByDan EmeryJun 6, 2024