Better signing than Muniz: Leeds expected to bid for "integral" £26m CF
da dobrowin： Leeds United made their second signing of the summer transfer window on Monday evening when they officially confirmed the arrival of Jaka Bijol from Serie A side Udinese.
da 888casino： The central defender is now set to compete with the likes of Ethan Ampadu, Pascal Struijk, and Joe Rodon for a place in the starting XI in the Premier League next season.
Daniel Farke is also in the market to add another number nine to his squad, having already brought in Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer from Wolfsburg.
Football Insider claims that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz, but the Cottagers are confident of keeping hold of the Brazilian frontman.
The report adds that the Whites have already had an offer of £32m rejected by the fellow Premier League team, and that the London-based side are prepared to price the Championship champions out of a move for the striker.
This latest update suggests that the Fulham marksman will not be making his way to Elland Road this summer, but what could he have brought to the team?
What Rodrigo Muniz could bring to Leeds
If Leeds can turn it around to sign him, the 24-year-old attacker would join the Whites to provide Farke with a Premier League-proven number nine who has shown that he can score goals at that level.
In the last two seasons, Muniz has racked up 17 top-flight goals for the Cottagers, which shows that he knows how to find the back of the net in the top division in England.
Rodrigo Muniz (Premier League)
23/24
24/25
Appearances
26
31
xG
8.72
5.81
Goals
9
8
Big chances created
2
1
Key passes per game
0.7
0.2
Assists
1
1
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian forward also outperformed his xG in both of those seasons, showing that he is also a reliable and clinical finisher.
However, creativity is not his strong suit. A return of two assists in two seasons, and a peak of 0.7 key passes per game, does not suggest that he would create many high-quality opportunities for his teammates.
Muniz would, though, offer physicality in the number nine position. He won 52% of his duels and won 2.2 aerial battles per game in the Premier League this season, which shows that he can hold his own against top-flight defenders.
Whilst there are clearly a lot of strong qualities that the Fulham star could bring to West Yorkshire, Leeds are now reportedly pursuing a striker who could be an even better signing.
Leeds pursuing deal for Serie A star
According to Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, as relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United are expected to make another bid to sign Nikola Krstovic from Lecce in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Championship champions have already had an offer of £19.7m rejected by the Italian side for the Montenegrin centre-forward, but they are now plotting another attempt to snap him up.
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It also reveals that AS Roma are interested in signing the 25-year-old marksman, and that they would be prepared to offer a player in exchange for him, although they have yet to make an official bid.
Meanwhile, the print edition of Corriere dello Sport, via MOTLeedsNews, reports that Lecce value the forward at a fee of around £26m, and claims that Leeds are ready to pay big money to get a deal done for the striker.
It now remains to be seen whether or not their second offer for the Montenegro international will be enough to tempt the Italian team to part ways with the attacker.
Why Leeds should sign Nikola Krstovic
The Premier League new boys should push to sign the Lecce number nine before the end of the summer transfer window because he would be an even better signing than Muniz.
Krstovic would be considerably cheaper if the latest reports are to be believed, with Lecce valuing him at £26m compared to the significantly more than £32m that Fulham want for Muniz in order to price Leeds out of a deal.
This means that it could be more financially viable for the Whites to pursue the Montenegro international, which would also free up more funds to be spent on other areas of the squad as they look to build a team that can compete in the Premier League.
Krstovic, as shown in the clips above, is a versatile goalscorer who has shown that he can find the back of the net in a variety of ways, with either foot, from close or long range, and with his head.
The Lecce sensation, who was dubbed “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, has proven that he can score goals in a major European league, netting 18 Serie A goals in the last two seasons combined.
24/25 season
Muniz (Premier League)
Krstovic (Serie A)
Appearances
31
37
Sofascore rating
6.88
7.14
Goals
8
11
Big chances created
1
5
Assists
1
5
Duels won per game
3.7
4.9
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Krstovic outperformed Muniz at league level in the 2024/25 campaign, with three more goals and four more assists, whilst also winning more duels per game.
The Montenegro international’s ability to generate high-quality opportunities for himself is one of his most impressive attributes, as he has accrued 24.80 xG in two seasons in the Serie A, compared to the Fulham man’s tally of 15.32 in two Premier League campaigns.
This could suggest that Krstovic is better at getting himself into goalscoring situations, which could be particularly useful in a season that Leeds are expected to be battling relegation in.
Overall, the Lecce star could be a better signing than Muniz for the Whites as the striker may be able to offer more goals and assists in the top-flight, whilst being a cheaper addition to the squad.
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