Leeds United are interested in signing Southampton’s Che Adams for the second half of the season.
The Whites are on the search for an attacking addition following Eddie Nketiah’s return to Arsenal, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently revealing that Adams’ finishing and physical strength are two attributes that have caught the Whites’ eye.
Southampton are looking to strengthen their own attacking ranks before possibly agreeing to a temporary Elland Road switch for Adams, with Le Havre’s Tino Kadewere emerging as a target in recent days.
But would Adams be a smart signing by the Whites as they push for promotion back to the Premier League over the next four months?
Read Southampton verdict
Marcelo Bielsa sets his side out with plenty of attacking intent, with the striker playing a key role with and without the ball.
Unfortuantely for Nketiah, he didn’t seem to fit Bielsa’s style from the off and had to mainly make do with cameos from the bench.
Patrick Bamford is the only senior striker left, and his tireless work rate and all-round game have made him Bielsa’s go-to man in Yorkshire.
Statistically, Adams could be the perfect addition at Elland Road.
Whoscored.com provide an in-depth analysis of the 23-year-old’s career to date, and the figures point to a perfect fit in Bielsa’s squad.
Adams netted 22 times in the second tier last season, two of which came against Leeds, but it’s not just his goalscoring that caught the eye.
He averaged 1.5 key passes per game with the Blues and was fouled the same amount of times per game during his 46 appearances in the second tier, excelling with his hold up play and bringing his teammates into the action, something which would be key under Bielsa.
Compare that to Bamford’s injury-hit campaign last year, with the 26-year-old averaging less at 1.2 key passes per game and 0.8 fouls, via Whoscored.com.
Adams’ physical side of the game has also appeared to improve during his six months with the Saints.
During his 15 Premier League appearances so far, he’s won 1.5 aerial duels, increasing that figure from 0.8 per game at Birmingham last season.
Bamford is again behind on the stat, winning 0.9 of his aerial duels in his 25 Championship appearances.
His prolific goalscoring record in the Championship and impressive all-round game appear to make him the perfect fit in Yorkshire, and if a deal goes through, you’d expect him to run Bamford close for a starting spot.
