Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has made four additions to his squad during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month.
Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Joe Rothwell, and Jayden Bogle have all been brought in to strengthen the group ahead of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
The German head coach has already lost Glen Kamara, to Rennes, and Archie Gray, to Tottenham Hotspur, whilst loanees Connor Roberts and Jaidon Anthony returned to their parent clubs.
Farke and Leeds could, though, find a superb replacement for Anthony this summer by swooping to sign one of the club’s reported transfer targets.
Leeds interest in Premier League forward
It was recently reported by London News Online that the West Yorkshire side are one of a number of teams interested in Crystal Palace forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
The outlet claimed that the Whites are looking to sign the 21-year-old wizard on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, but they are facing stiff competition for his signature
It stated that 18 teams in the Championship are keen on the former Charlton Athletic loanee, whilst Premier League side Southampton have had a bid of £7m rejected by the Eagles.
Leeds must now push to win the race for the talented Premier League youngster as he could come in as a big upgrade on Anthony, who struggled at Elland Road last term.
Why Leeds should sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Like the Bournemouth man, Rak-Sayki is a versatile forward who can be deployed on either flank or through the middle, which means that he could be a valuable addition to the group to provide cover in multiple positions.
Anthony was brought in on loan for the 2023/24 campaign to provide competition on the wings but he failed to provide quality at the top end of the pitch in doing so.
The 24-year-old flanker made 31 appearances in the Championship for Farke’s side. In that time, the English flop produced one goal and zero assists, and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates.
Rak-Sakyi is a player who has the potential to come in and make a greater impact in the final third for the Whites, albeit he is unproven at Championship level.
The young whiz, who was described as “remarkable” by Roy Hodgson, only made six Premier League appearances last season but has showcased his quality at U21 and League One level in recent seasons.
| 22/23 League One | Jesurun Rak-Sakyi |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 43 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Assists | 8 |
| Big chances created | 5 |
| Key passes per game | 1.3 |
| Dribbles completed per game | 1.8 |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi provided regular quality in the final third as a scorer and a creator of goals on loan with Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign.
The £7.5k-per-week ace has also racked up 22 goals and seven assists in 29 Premier League 2 games for Palace’s U21 side since the start of the 2021/22 season.
He has proven his attacking quality in the third tier of English football and at youth level, and now it is time for him to make his mark in the Championship.
The Whites have been linked with an interest in both players, who starred in the Championship last season.
Leeds must swoop to sign the talented youngster to come in as a big upgrade on Anthony, due to his potential to offer far more as a scorer and a creator from a wide position.
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