Lukas Nmecha: Leeds sale only with a striker replacement

Leeds United would only consider selling striker Lukas Nmecha in January if they can sign a replacement, according to Football Insider. The report, by transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, is based on unnamed sources. Leeds have not commented.

Lukas Nmecha: what Football Insider says

Football Insider says Leeds are prepared to let Nmecha leave in January, provided they bring in another striker for cover. The 27-year-old is reportedly attracting interest from several Bundesliga clubs, including FC Koln.

The report adds that Lukas Nmecha is Leeds’ only back-up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin as an out-and-out striker. As a result, the club want to avoid leaving themselves short at the top of the pitch. Football Insider says that concern is driving the position: any sale would have to come alongside an arrival, rather than before one.

Lukas Nmecha contract at Leeds

Lukas Nmecha is out of contract at Elland Road next summer, Football Insider says, and the club have not been able to agree an extension so far. Therefore, he will enter the final six months of his deal in January. That would allow him to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club.

The search for a new striker

According to the report, a striker has been high on Leeds’ list of priorities for several windows, but the right deal has not come. Football Insider says Leeds are one of several Premier League clubs interested in Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul. He scored 20 Ligue 1 goals last season and, per the report, has seven in as many league games this term. The report suggests Leeds are expected to keep tracking strikers ahead of the window as Lukas Nmecha enters the final months of his deal.

This is a single-source report, and nothing has been confirmed by the club about Lukas Nmecha. For more on Leeds’ strikers, see our report on Calvert-Lewin’s player of the match award, our Leeds 1-1 Man Utd report and Farke’s solitary criticism after the draw.

Source: Football Insider (Pete O’Rourke).