Leeds United need a striker and after being linked to a plethora of attacking options, are yet to announce a signing till now. They have now announced the signing of West Brom youngster, Tyler Roberts whose contract with the Baggies was set to end after this season. West Brom were asking for an initial fee of £2.5m and the rest of the amount as add-ons later on depending on his performance.
The 19-year-old is a product of the West Brom academy and has spent the first half of the current campaign on loan to League One side Walsall, scoring the ball 5 times and furthering 5 assists. Tyler Roberts made his debut for the Throstles in May 2016 and has been capped for the Wales U17, U19, U20 and U21 sides 19 times in total. He developed his game by spending his primary years away on loan to Oxford United and Shrewsbury Town.
Alan Pardew recalled him to the Hawthorns Stadium to bolster the attacking ranks but has found his player in Daniel Sturridge. The 28-year-old had come in on loan for the remainder of the season and Pardew would have had a tough time rotating Roberts into the lineup.
Leeds United are currently undergoing a rough patch having lost 3 of their last 5 games. They were held to a 0-0 draw against Hull City last night and their struggles in front of goal seemed to be costing them crucial points in their promotion chase.
What started out to be one of the best chances of pushing for a promotion has turned into a dark and disappointing campaign for Thomas Christiansen who is struggling with a lack of attacking threat from the side. Samuel Saiz is currently serving a six-match suspension and is ineligible for selection until the end of February. Pierre-Michel Lasogga had a few chances against the Tigers but failed to convert, an ongoing problem for the German.
Caleb Ekuban went down to a long-term injury last month and Pawel Cibicki is not the ideal striker to lead the Peacocks’ attacking lineup. Cibicki is utilised as a second option and has not managed to score a single goal this season – just two assists.
The United faithful are well aware of the monumental task they are about to face in order to bridge the gap between them and 6th place Fulham. At just 19, Roberts has shown promising signs and has racked up a decent amount of senior team experience.
