Chris Wood has been the talk of the town throughout the season in the Championship owing to his sheer attacking flamboyance and clinical poaching techniques up front for Leeds United. The New Zealand international banged as many as 27 goals and registered 4 assists as well in 44 appearances for Whites and one wouldn’t shudder to contemplate that it was the relentless toil from Wood which kept Garry Monk’s outfit in the race for securing a playoff spot until the business end of the season.
However, having failed to garner a promotion to the Premier League, Wood’s future at the Elland Road has been under intense speculation as the bigger sharks of the game are circling keenly to make him put his pen to the paper and lure him under their ranks. Premier League outfit Stoke City have emerged lately as one of the admirers of the 25-year-old goal-getter and given their apparent need for having an attacker with a decent reputation, it doesn’t really come as a surprise to see as to whom they selected to be on their wish-list.
The Potters are placed 14th in the league chart with merely 41 points this season and one of the headaches for them this season has been their inability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, having scored just 40 goals so far with a game to go. Their highest goal scorer is Joe Allen with 6 goals and such statistics do not give a nice picture about the club. To erect something monumental in the coming seasons, Mark Hughes would need to bolster his attacking arsenal and one of the marauding steps which he could indeed take to navigate the club in the right direction is by bringing Wood to Bet365 Stadium.
Well-built, adventurous and an out-and-out striker with stupendous poaching skills, the Leeds United man is someone on whom a team could thoroughly rely. The former Leicester City man gets into the right areas, holds the ball meticulously in the final third, bangs goals left right and centre and at the same time and he creates plenty of opportunities for his teammates as well. His stocks have risen rapidly this season and his predate instincts and knack to keep his opposition on the back foot makes him an appealing commodity. Further, he has many years of top quality football and considering that he deserves to ply his trade in the English top flight, the deal should benefit Stoke City and the player himself.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.com
