Leeds got off to a flying start to their new season. Fast flowing football that was easy on the eye and a defence that since the opening game at Bolton had conceded three goals in eight games meant that Leeds could not have hoped for a better start. The Leeds machine, however, began to show signs of crack as the league progressed and they now stand tenth in the table after eleven defeats in 28 games.
Doubts are clouding over the club and the atmosphere at Leeds right now is grave. Several post-mortem reports of the club’s defeats have speculated about various aspects that the club needs to get right. One clear need for a position of reinforcement is that of a striker.
With Caleb Ekuban facing time on the sidelines, Samuel Sáiz suffering from some serious disciplinary issues and Pierre-Michel Lasogga unable to fire on all cylinders, the bulk of the scoring responsibility has fallen on Kemar Roofe and Christiansen could do with another option up front.
It is now being reported that the Whites are being marked at 4/1 favourites to land Bradford City striker Charlie Wyke. The 25-year-old has a £5 million price tag on him. Wyke moved to Bradford City last January and in his one year spell at the club, he has gone on to make 46 appearances and returned with a healthy 19 goals.
Bradford is in no mood to make Wyke’s signing easy with their manager Stuart McCall claiming, “I think he is hugely important to us. If you do not have £5m, do not bother coming. It is because we are seeing some of the prices being linked to other players in our division and Charlie is an important player to us.
I think the chairman has come out and said he is not for sale in this window anyway,” he added. “Now, if he goes out and scores another ten goals and at the end of the season becomes sell-able, that might be the case.
“But, I think the chairman has made it clear that he is not for sale unless if someone has got £5m upwards, I would not bother coming to watch if I am honest.”
Spending so much money on a player who has spent his last year in League One is bound to be a risk for Christiansen. Moreover, he has to face off competition from Middlesborough, who are being marked as favourites to land him and Sunderland if he wishes to land the hitman.
However, given his predicament and with only one week remaining before the deadline day, Christiansen is fast running out of options and Wyke could end up being the best deal he gets before the transfer window slams shut.
