Derby County owner Mel Morris has indicated that he wants his side to reduce the current £35m wage bill as Derby missed out on Premier League qualification yet again. This has been their 11th consecutive season in the Championship and their dreams were dashed by Fulham in the playoffs as they lost the second leg 2-0 after securing a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg.
To reduce the financial burden, their top scorer Matej Vydra, who is considered as the most profitable asset currently, could be sold in the summer and that would come as a body blow for the fans. The 26-year-old has come up with impressive returns this season as he has managed 22 goals and four assists in 44 appearances.
According to reports, Derby will demand at least £8m for the Czech Republic striker and that is set to put quite a few Championship clubs on high alert. One of them could be Leeds United as they are looking for a strike force who can score 20 odd goals in a season. Their highest scorer this term has been Kemar Roofe who managed 11 goals in all competitions and one would certainly say that it is not good enough for a side who are vying for a playoff spot.
The Peacocks have also lost their on-loan striker Pierre Michel Lasogga who has returned to his parent club Hamburg for next season. The striker confirmed the news on his social media account. He was the second highest scorer for Leeds this term as he managed 10 goals and Paul Heckingbottom will be looking to replace him in the transfer market.
Vydra should certainly be on top of Paul Heckingbttom’s shopping list as he has proven himself in the season gone by. The Czech forward could certainly go a long way in solving their goal-scoring issues. He can play the role of left-winger as well and has featured for the Rams in that position this season. He has been one of the top strikers not only for the Rams but also in the whole competition and might be a good addition for Heckingbottom.
Read More: 24 Y/O Championship Forward Set To Depart Leeds United: 3 Replacements Including This Serie A Ace!
The valuation of the striker might cause some thinking to do for the Leeds management but if they want to show intent and ambition they need to pay that amount for a 20-goals-a-season striker. Otherwise, another year will go by and the Whites will be lost in the wilderness of mid-table in the English Championship.
